As of its Nov. 9 alert, the Rhode Island Department of Health says raccoons from the Green Earth Avenue area of Johnston and the Plainfield Pike area of Coventry tested positive for rabies, bringing the state's 2026 count of rabid animals to 48. The department calls that a significantly elevated number and says it exceeds the 2021 to 2025 average of 25 a year; the count is nearly double that average by our arithmetic. The figures are from the department's alert published Nov. 9.
The department says both raccoons tested positive "late last week," in the days before the Monday, Nov. 9 alert. Anyone who may have had direct contact with a raccoon in those areas should immediately call the department'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 nurse will assess the exposure and decide whether treatment is needed.
The department says rabies is fatal if not treated before symptoms begin, and that post-exposure treatment must start as soon as possible after exposure. Pet owners who think an animal may have met one of the raccoons should call the department, the local animal control officer and a veterinarian.
State law requires all dogs, cats and ferrets to have current rabies vaccinations, the department says. The majority of this year's rabid animals were raccoons, bats and skunks, and a cat, a coyote and a woodchuck have also tested positive. A full list of collection dates and locations is on the department's Rabies Data Dashboard under "Animal Rabies Mapping."
The department's prevention advice includes keeping vaccinations current, avoiding contact with and not feeding wild or stray animals, not feeding pets outdoors, keeping pets leashed or in fenced yards, covering garbage cans and reporting all animal bites to the city or town animal control officer. More information is at health.ri.gov/rabies.
