Portsmouth Bat Tests Positive For Rabies

PORTSMOUTH, RI — A bat from Portsmouth tested positive for rabies, the Rhode Island Department of Health announced on Thursday. Anyone who may have had contact with the animal is urged to reach out to the department as soon as possible.

The brown bat was found in the Common Fence Point section of the town on Saturday, the department said. A person saw the bat between 8:30 and 9 a.m. at the intersection of Massachusetts Boulevard and Anthony Road. A crowd of onlookers had gathered around the animal, which looked sickly.

A Wildlife Rehabilitation Specialist, permitted by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, submitted the bat to the health department's laboratory for testing on Tuesday, and the positive test result was confirmed on Wednesday.

Since rabies is a fatal disease, anyone who had direct contact with the bat is asked to call the department's Center for Acute Infectious Disease Epidemiology at 401-222-2577 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., from Monday through Friday. The department also asks pet owners whose animal may have come in contact with the animal to reach out.

Rabies is a virus that attacks the central nervous system, the health department said. If an infected person does not receive immediate medical attention, the disease will spread to the brain and ultimately cause death. Rabies treatments must start as soon as possible after the initial exposure.

All dogs, cats and ferrets are required by state law to have a current rabies vaccination, which keeps the animal from contracting the disease. The department offered the following suggestions to keep pets safe:

• Keep pets up-to-date on rabies vaccinations
• Avoid contact with and do not feed stray or free-roaming domestic or wild animals
• Do not feed your pet outdoors, as this draws other animals
• Keep dogs on a leash during walks or let them run free in a fenced yard. Do not let pets wander unsupervised.
• Report animal bites to your local animal control officer
• Securely cover all garbage cans