Warwick Resident Treated for Rabies After Raccoon Exposure as Rhode Island Cases Reach 46
Warwick, Kent County, Rhode Island — The Rhode Island Department of Health said on November 2 that a Warwick resident is receiving rabies post-exposure treatment after contact with a raccoon, as the state's count of rabid animals this year remains significantly elevated. The exposure occurred in the Payton Avenue area of Warwick, where the resident was bitten or scratched by a raccoon and began rabies treatment on Sunday, November 1. The raccoon was not captured and could not be tested, but raccoons are common carriers of rabies.
So far this year, 46 animals in Rhode Island have tested positive for rabies, nearly twice the annual average of 25 from 2021 through 2025. Six of them were in Warwick, including four raccoons and two bats. The state environmental agency said the reason for the sharp increase is not yet clear. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health advisory in September noting that animal exposure reports and post-exposure vaccinations rose nationally in the summer of 2026.
The health department urged anyone whose contact with a wild or stray animal may have exposed them to seek an assessment promptly to determine whether treatment is needed, reminded residents to avoid contact with wildlife, and said pets should be kept current on rabies vaccination.
(Source: Rhode Island Department of Health)
Source: Rhode Island Department of Health
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：北美浣熊。美国鱼类及野生动物管理局，公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: A North American raccoon. By the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
