After a patron at John George Ice Cream came into contact with a woodchuck, the town Board of Health is warning residents that the animals are highly capable of transmitting rabies. 

The exposure occurred on June 11 around 5 p.m., according to the Board. 

The Board asks people who have come into contact with a woodchuck or know someone who has to please contact the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) at 617-983-6800 (available 24 hours/7 days a week) or a health care provider for a rabies exposure risk assessment as soon as possible.

Any person who has contact with saliva through a bite or a scratch, or if saliva gets into a fresh wound, or the eyes, nose or mouth, can be exposed to the virus.