Rabid Bat Flaps Its Way Into Providence: State

PROVIDENCE, RI — A rabid bat turned up in Providence late Wednesday afternoon, according to the Rhode Island Department of Health.

The bat was found on Humboldt Avenue in the area of Gladys Potter Park and was "acting erratically," a media release from the Department of Health said.

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The Providence Animal Control Division captured the bat and turned it over to the Department of Health's State Health Laboratories, where it tested positive for rabies, according to the release.

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Anyone who may have had direct contact with the bat should immediately call the Department of Health's Center for Acute Infectious Disease Epidemiology at 401-222-2577 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday or 401-276-8046 after hours, the release said.

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If a pet may have come into contact with this bat, the department recommended contacting the Providence Animal Control Division and the Department of Health, according to the release.

"The rabies virus infects the central nervous system," the release said. "If a person does not receive the appropriate medical care after a rabies exposure, the virus can cause disease in the brain, ultimately resulting in death."

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