Bat that bit Plainville resident tests positive for rabies

PLAINVILLE, Mass. (WPRI) — Plainville/Wrentham Animal Control is warning residents that a bat bit a resident earlier this week and later tested positive for rabies.

The bat, which entered the Plainville resident's home on Monday, was captured by animal control officers and humanely euthanized. It was then brought to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health's laboratory, where it later tested positive for rabies.

The victim is actively receiving the appropriate medical treatment for rabies exposure.

Anyone who may have come into contact with the rabid bat should call the Massachusetts Department of Public Health at (617) 983-6800 for a risk assessment.

Rabies is a potentially deadly viral disease that typically spreads through bites or scratches from an infected animal, according t