Racoon in Rhode Island tests positive for rabies – Newport Buzz

The Rhode Island Division of Environmental Administration and the Rhode Island Division of Well being are alerting the general public {that a} racoon discovered at Daring Level Park in East Windfall final week has examined optimistic for rabies. As a result of rabies is a deadly illness, anybody who might have had contact with this animal is urged to contact RIDOH as quickly as doable.

The racoon was discovered by the Wildlife Clinic of Rhode Island, a Saunderstown-based veterinary and wildlife rehabilitation apply that had responded to stories of a wounded raccoon on April 8. Daring Level Park is situated on Waterfront Drive off the Veterans Memorial Parkway in East Windfall. Clinic employees collected the animal, humanely euthanized it, and transported it to RIDOH’s State Well being Laboratories for testing, the place it examined optimistic for rabies.

Anybody who might have had direct contact with or anybody who was strolling a pet and the pet had contact with a raccoon at Daring Level Park is strongly suggested to name RIDOH’s Heart for Acute Infectious Illness Epidemiology at 401-222-2577 (Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM) or 401-276-8046 after hours for remedy steering.

“DEM stresses that wildlife is gorgeous however ought to at all times be loved from afar,” stated RI State Veterinarian Dr. Scott Marshall. “By no means strategy wild animals and positively by no means contact them. That is particularly essential right now of the yr when many species are having infants. Child animals are lovable and persons are naturally interested in them, however dealing with mammals, whether or not infants or not, is at all times a possible rabies publicity. As soon as folks deal with these animals, public well being officers are compelled to check the animal for rabies, which requires that the animal be humanely euthanized as a result of testing requires mind tissue.”

The rabies virus infects the central nervous system. If an individual doesn’t obtain the suitable medical care and rabies vaccination after a possible rabies publicity, the virus can unfold to the mind, in the end leading to loss of life. Rabies remedy should be began as quickly as doable after publicity. All canine, cats, and ferrets are required by state legislation to have present vaccination towards rabies. Vaccination of pets prevents them from contracting rabies and prevents folks from changing into uncovered to rabies by their pets. Bats in Rhode Island are also recognized to be contaminated with the bat pressure of rabies virus. Bat rabies strains are extremely transmissible to people, and preventive vaccination is usually really useful for publicity by proximity even and not using a seen wound, if the bat will not be accessible for testing

RIDOH and DEM make the next suggestions to forestall rabies:

– Make sure that all canine, cats, and ferrets are updated on rabies vaccination.
– Keep away from all contact with and don’t feed stray or free-roaming home animals.
– Keep away from all contact with and don’t feed wild animals.
– Don’t feed your pets open air, as it will entice different animals. That is particularly harmful when feeding giant numbers of free-roaming cats.
– Shield your pets by at all times sustaining management. Stroll canine on a leash or allow them to play in a fenced yard, and don’t let pets wander unsupervised.
– Report all animal bites to your metropolis/city’s animal management officer.
– Securely cowl all rubbish cans so wild animals can not scavenge for meals.
– Bat-proof your own home

For extra info on the way to forestall rabies, please go to RIDOH’s web site.

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