PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A raccoon near Black Plain Road in North Smithfield and two raccoons in Pawtucket have tested positive for rabies, the Rhode Island Department of Health said Wednesday.

Two people and a dog are being treated for possible exposure to the North Smithfield raccoon, the department said. There were no known human exposures to the Pawtucket raccoons, which were found close to each other on Wilcox Avenue and Blaisdell Avenue.

The Pawtucket animals were found within a mile of a rabid raccoon on Hope Street in Providence that the department had previously reported, according to the agency.

Rhode Island has identified 46 rabid animals so far in 2026, the department said, well above the annual average of 25 reported from 2021 through 2025. Most were raccoons, 25, followed by bats, 14, and skunks, four. A rabid cat, coyote and woodchuck have also been found in the state in 2026.

Rabies attacks the central nervous system and is fatal if not treated before symptoms appear, the department said. Treatment after an exposure must begin as soon as possible.

The department asked anyone who may have had direct contact with a raccoon in those areas to call its Center for Acute Infectious Disease Epidemiology at 401-222-2577 during business hours or 401-276-8046 after hours, so a nurse can assess whether treatment is needed. Pet owners who think an animal may have had contact with one of the raccoons should call the department, their local animal control officer and their veterinarian.

State law requires dogs, cats and ferrets to be vaccinated against rabies. Health officials also urged residents not to feed wild or stray animals, to keep pets under control and garbage cans covered, and to report animal bites to local animal control.

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