Amid ‘unprecedented bat season’ in RI, scores get rabies shots

Bats are thriving in Rhode Island this summer, and it's leading to more people getting shots that prevent rabies, health officials say.

The state is in the middle of an "unprecedented bat season," the Rhode Island Department of Public Health said Thursday, noting that 200 people have had to get preventative shots for rabies, which bats can carry.

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RI is having an “unprecedented bat season” with 200 people in RI needing to get rabies prophylaxis recently? Call RIDOH at 401-222-2577 Mon-Fri, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. or 401-276-8046 after hours to assess the need for testing before releasing a captured bat. https://t.co/Q3k3iaZCYp pic.twitter.com/Pt5iavo6Fg
— Rhode Island Department of Health (@RIHEALTH) August 24, 2023

People get deadly rabies infections from bats more than from any other animal, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — though most bats do not have the virus.

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People who may have been exposed to rabies, even for people who haven't been bitten, are often prescribed a series of prophylactic vaccine shots to prevent the disease from developing.

There hasn't been a human case of rabies in Rhode Island since 1940, according to the state's health department.

Rhode Island health officials didn't say what's causing the "unprecedented bat season" or how many people usually need to get the vaccine shots.