18 treated after contact with rabid raccoon in RI: Eighteen people are now being treated for possible rabies exposure after state environmental officials said a family found a baby raccoon and brought it into its home. The Department of Environmental Management said it had received a positive rabies test in a baby raccoon that was found in Coventry that was submitted for testing on Tuesday. The uninjured animal was found on May 29 on John Franklin Road. State environmental officials said the family found the raccoon and brought into its house where it had contact with several people. According to state environmental officials, 16 people from Rhode Island and 2 people from Connecticut are being treated. Four are under 18. Anyone who could have had potential contact with a raccoon in the area should contact the Rhode Island Department of Health. Rabies infects the central nervous system, ultimately causing disease of the brain and death when untreated. Humans may be exposed to rabies through a bite, scratch, or direct contact where there is contamination of a scratch, abrasion, or fresh wound with saliva from a rabid animal. According to DEM officials, there has not been a human case of rabies in Rhode Island since 1940.
Posted on: Fri, 07 Jun 2013 15:19:13 +0000
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