Coyote believed responsible for attacks on people in Scituate, Johnston tests positive for rabies; state urges anyone who may have had contact to call Health Department
PROVIDENCE − A coyote thought to be responsible for two attacks on humans last week has tested positive for rabies, the state has confirmed.
The coyote is believed to have bitten a man walking his dog on Peeptoad Road in Scituate on Thursday and then attacked a hiker in Johnston on Friday.
The hiker, a Johnston man bitten in the leg, killed the coyote near Belfield Drive, and the carcass was taken for testing, according to the state Department of Environmental Management. The state Department of Health confirmed the rabies diagnosis.
RI veterinarian urges anyone who had contact with coyote to call Health Dept.
Anyone who may have come in contact with the coyote should contact the Health Department’s infectious disease division, State Veterinarian Dr. Scott Marshall said in a joint news release from the DEM and the Health Department.
“If pet owners in these two communities believe their pet has interacted with coyote, call or visit your veterinarian to make sure your pet’s rabies vaccination is current,” Marshall said. “Rabies is virtually always preventable with the vaccination. Animal owners also need to report the exposure to your local animal control officer.”
More: Coyote mistaken for German shepherd is released with companion rescued in Rhode Island
Rabies is a viral disease acquired from the bite or scratch of a rabid animal, and without a post-exposure vaccine series, virtually all cases are fatal, according to the Health Department. The post-exposure vaccination should be administered as soon as possible to anyone with a known or likely exposure to rabies, including those who received prior prophylaxis, the Health Department said.
Is rabies common in Rhode Island?
Rabies in coyotes is “extremely rare” in Rhode Island, because the rabies virus here is a raccoon-adapted strain, and coyotes typically don’t eat raccoons, according to Numi Mitchell, lead scientist for the Narragansett Bay Coyote Study.
Raccoons are feisty animals and can prove to be a difficult meal. “There’s just no interest from your average coyote in eating raccoons,” Mitchell said.
She believes it’s more likely that the coyote would have caught rabies by sharing an eating area with a rabid raccoon and picking up some of its saliva. She said people will sometimes put food bowls out for feral cats, but those bowls also attract other animals such as coyotes and raccoons.
Mitchell shares the DEM’s belief that one coyote was responsible for both attacks. The DEM “strongly believes that there’s most likely a connection between the Scituate and Johnston attacks because although a single coyote attack on a human is rare, two attacks in two days four miles apart in bordering communities is much more than coincidental,” said Evan LaCross, a DEM spokesman.
Are coyotes dangerous?
Coyotes typically stay away from humans because they view humans as predators, according to Mitchell. In most cases, when a coyote bites a human, it’s because they’ve become emboldened by humans feeding them, she said.
Male coyotes may be more aggressive toward other canids, including domestic dogs, this time of year because their mates may be pregnant and they’re protective, according to Mitchell.
“Coyotes are naturally shy animals, but unnatural interaction with humans, such as feeding, can cause them to become emboldened,” the DEM’s LaCross said. “Coyote sightings are common all over Rhode Island and are not cause for concern; not all coyotes have learned bad behaviors.”
“If the public encounters a coyote while outdoors, it will most likely continue on its way. If the coyote stops or is inquisitive, remain calm, make loud noises, try to look big and intimidating, and slowly back away,” he said.
How can you tell if an animal has rabies?
Animals infected with rabies can exhibit “a wide range of symptoms, from aggressiveness to aimless wandering, lethargy, weakness of the hind legs, and loss of awareness,” according to the DEM.
Coyotes or other animals showing abnormal behavior can be reported to the report the observation to DEM’s Division of Law Enforcement at 401-222-3070.
To prove conclusively whether the same coyote was responsible for both attacks, the DEM might be able to compare bite marks on the victims with measurements from the coyote’s mouth, according to the DEM.
Anyone who may have had contact with the coyote should call the Health Department’s Center for Acute Infectious Disease Epidemiology at (401) 222-2577, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., or (401) 276-8046 after hours for treatment guidance.
Check the Health Department’s website for information on how to prevent rabies.
