Rhode Island officials are warning the public to use caution around wildlife after a dramatic increase in rabies cases in the state this year.
Just halfway through the year, state officials said 25 rabid animals have been idenitified in Rhode Island. That already exceeds the average annual number of 24 rabid animals reported between 2021 and 2025. Officials said 32 people were exposed to those rabid animals and received treatment.
The majority of the rabid animals caught this year have reportedly been in the northern region of the state. Most of those animals were raccoons (14) and bats (7). Additionally, a rabid cat, coyote, skunk, and woodchuck have been found in Rhode Island this year.
As a result of the spike in rabies cases, officials with the Rhode Island Department of Health and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management recently issued a statement reminding Rhode Islanders to take steps to protect themselves, their families, and their pets from rabies.
Recently, New York warned the public to use caution in an area of Lake George after two people were attacked by a beaver suspected of having rabies. Last year, New Hampshire issued a rabies warning after a person was bitten by a raccoon. In 2017, a man in New York was attacked by a rabid deer.
Rabies is a viral disease that affects all mammals, including people. The rabies virus infects the central nervous system. If a person does not receive the appropriate medical care after a rabies exposure, the virus can cause disease in the brain, ultimately resulting in death.
However, it is preventable if medical care is received promptly after an exposure. Rabies treatment must be started as soon as possible after exposure and before symptoms appear.
The virus is most commonly transmitted through the bite of an infected animal, but it can also spread when saliva from a rabid animal enters the body through a scratch or an open wound.
“Being active in nature regularly is one of the best things you can do for your health. However, you should never touch a wild animal,” said Rhode Island Director of Health Jerry Larkin, MD. “Any contact with a wild mammal puts you a risk for rabies.”
“Wildlife is fascinating to observe, but should always be enjoyed from afar,” said Rhode Island State Veterinarian Dr. Scott Marshall. “Never approach, feed, or touch wild animals. Any direct contact with a wild mammal should be considered a potential rabies exposure, making it essential to avoid handling wildlife and report animals behaving unusually to authorities.”
Officials said all dogs, cats, and ferrets are required by Rhode Island state law to have current vaccination against rabies. Vaccinating pets prevents them from getting rabies and prevents people from becoming exposed to rabies through their pets.
Rhode Island health officials recommend the following additional steps to prevent rabies:
- Avoid all contact with and do not feed stray or free-roaming domestic animals.
- Avoid all contact with and do not feed wild animals.
- Do not feed your animals outdoors, as this will attract other animals. This is especially dangerous when feeding large numbers of free-roaming cats.
- Protect your pets by always maintaining control; walk dogs on a leash or let them play in a fenced yard; and do not let pets wander unsupervised.
- Securely cover all garbage cans so wild animals cannot scavenge for food.
- What to do if a person or pet comes into contact with a wild animal
- Anyone who has had direct contact with a wild mammal should immediately call RIDOH’s Center for Acute Infectious Disease Epidemiology at 401-222-2577 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or 401-276-8046 after hours). A RIDOH nurse will assess the exposure and determine whether post-exposure treatment is recommended. If needed, RIDOH will coordinate a post-exposure vaccine series. If any domestic animal, such as pets or livestock, had contact with a wild mammal, or if you are in possession of an animal that you suspect has rabies, call RIDOH, your local Animal Control Officer, and your veterinarian.
