KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON - Bats are a familiar sight during the warmer summer months as they fly at dusk hunting insects. While bats are no cause for fear, it is important to avoid touching them because of the risk of rabies. Approximately 5-10% of bats that are tested in King County are found to have rabies, so anyone finding a bat on the ground or in a house should take precautions to avoid having direct contact with the bat.

“Our biggest concern for rabies exposure occurs when a person handles a bat found on the ground or one that a pet brings in,” said Dr. Sharon Hopkins, Public Health - Seattle & King County’s veterinarian. “A bat found in a bedroom or where young children have been playing or where people have been sleeping is also a concern. Healthy bats tend to stay away from humans, so any bat seen on the ground or in your home might have rabies and should not be touched.”

Any actual or potential bat-human contact should be reported to Public Health. Bat-human contact is any kind of bare skin contact, including touching, handling, being bitten or getting scratched. Sometimes bare skin contact with a bat cannot be ruled out. For example, if a bat is found in a room where people have been asleep or in a room with a young child, there is a possibility that a tiny, unnoticeable bite or scratch occurred.

Since the beginning of June 2006 in King County:

• 18 bat exposures have been reported to Public Health (some exposures involved multiple people, e.g. several members of a household exposed to a single bat)
• 5 bats were tested and none were positive for rabies
• 13 people are being treated for potential exposure

Rabies is caused by a virus that attacks the brain and central nervous system. The virus is carried in the saliva of a rabid animal and is usually spread by a bite. Preventive treatment is available, though once symptoms begin, rabies infection is virtually always fatal.

Typical local exposure scenario

In late June, a Seattle woman called Public Health after she and her husband awoke to find a bat fluttering around their bedroom. The bat had likely been brought in by their cat, and was partially mauled but still alive. They safely captured the bat, and called Public Health. Public Health tested the bat and found it was not infected with rabies. Therefore, neither she nor her husband needed to get rabies preventive treatment. The woman said, “We were very happy that we got the bat tested immediately and that our cat was up-to-date on its rabies vaccination.”

A recent human rabies case

In 2006, a Texas teenager awoke to find a bat in his room. Public Health in Texas was not contacted and the bat was not tested. The teenager did not seek medical care until symptoms of rabies appeared, at which point it was too late to receive preventive treatment. Sadly, the teenager died of rabies about five weeks after exposure to the bat.

What to do if you find a bat

If an exposure occurred and the bat is available for testing, Public Health will facilitate testing of the bat free of charge. If the bat is negative for rabies, no preventive treatment for rabies will be recommended. If the bat tests positive for rabies, or if the bat is unavailable for testing, rabies preventive treatment will be recommended.

• If you find a dead or living bat inside the house, call Public Health. Do not shoo the bat outside! It is possible that the bat touched, bit, or scratched a family member while they were asleep.
• Use a shovel or wear heavy leather gloves to pick up the bat and put it in a secure box or a coffee can with a lid for testing. Pest control operators can assist in capturing a live bat for a fee. For specific instructions on capturing a bat, see www.metrokc.gov/health/prevcont/bats.htm
• If your pet has a bat in its mouth, wear thick leather gloves to remove it.
• If you find a dead bat outside, do not touch it with your bare hands.
• If a bat has potentially exposed a person and has been captured, call Public Health - Seattle & King County at 206-296-4774. If the exposure was to a pet only, consult your pet’s veterinarian and call the Public Health veterinarian at 206-263-8454.
• Screen windows and doors to keep bats from chasing an insect inside your home.

Protect your pets, too:

• King County regulations require that dogs, cats and ferrets be vaccinated for rabies by the age of four months with regular boosters after that. Check with your veterinarian to ensure your pets’ rabies vaccinations are up-to-date.
• If a pet has had contact with a bat or other wild animal such as a raccoon, contact your veterinarian and the Public Health veterinarian for advice.

For more information about bats and rabies, visit: www.metrokc.gov/health/prevcont/bats.htm                                            

For general information about rabies prevention, visit www.metrokc.gov/health/env_hlth/rabies.htm

Providing effective and innovative health and disease prevention services for over 1.8 million residents and visitors of King County, Public Health – Seattle & King County works for safer and healthier communities for everyone, every day.

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