EAST PROVIDENCE, RI — A woodchuck found in the area of Cul De Sac Way in the Riverside section tested positive for rabies on June 4.
The Rhode Island Department of Health is alerting the public about the rabid animal.
A second woodchuck was captured on June 5 and submitted for testing to the state’s Health Laboratories.
Four people and two dogs were exposed to the woodchuck.
All four people who were exposed have started treatment with post-exposure prophylaxis, and the two dogs received boosters of rabies vaccine.
The two woodchucks were seen in a busy, residential part of Riverside.
Rabies is a fatal disease if it is not treated before the onset of symptoms.
Anyone who may have had direct contact with the woodchuck should immediately call the Department of Health’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 so a nurse can assess exposure and determine if treatment is needed.
Anyone who thinks their pet may have come in contact with the woodchuck should call the Department of Health, their local animal control officer, and their pet’s veterinarian.
The rabies virus infects the central nervous system and can cause disease in the brain, ultimately resulting in death if a person does not receive appropriate medical care after exposure.
Rabies treatment must be started as soon as possible after exposure and before symptoms appear.
All dogs, cats, and ferrets are required by state law to have current vaccination against rabies.
