PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Dog owners are being urged to vaccinate dogs for rabies and canine distemper after a raccoon tested positive for distemper on Prudence Island.
The state Department of Environmental Management said the raccoon was tested for the disease after islanders reported numerous raccoon deaths and live raccoons displaying abnormal behavior.
The virus usually affects dogs, but it can also infect other wildlife, including racoons, foxes and coyotes. Cats are usually resistant to infection, the DEM said.
The disease presents identical signs of infection as rabies.
"Canine distemper is no threat to people, but rabies can be deadly," Scott Marshall, the sate veterinarian, said in a news release. "People need to immediately report all contact with wildlife to the proper authorities."