A bat found in Lewis County has tested positive for rabies virus at the Washington Public Health Laboratories, Lewis County Public Health & Social Services (LCPHSS) announced in a news release Wednesday.
LCPHSS advised that residents avoid touching bats or other wildlife and to contact their healthcare provider and LCPHSS if they or someone they know has had contact with a bat or potentially rabid animal.
Rabies is a fatal disease in both people and animals, but it can be prevented with prompt, appropriate medical care and treatment before any symptoms develop. In Washington, bats are the only known mammal to carry rabies. Washington state is home to many bats, the majority of which are healthy and vital to the ecosystem. Only a small portion of bats carry rabies virus. However, other mammals, including humans, can get rabies from bats. Rabies virus is found in an infected animal’s saliva and brain tissue. It is usually spread to people by animal bites or scratches.
LCPHSS recommends keeping bats out of living spaces by bat-proofing the home. The Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife provides more information on how to keep bats out of homes at https://tinyurl.com/2jus6mpn.
If you find a bat in your living space, call LCPHSS at 360-740-1223 so that it can help determine if the bat needs to be tested for rabies. Never handle a bat with bare hands and only capture bats that have had direct contact with a person or pet, or bats found in the room with a person or pet who may have had contact with it. LCPHSS has information on how to safely capture a bat if it needs to be tested for rabies at https://tinyurl.com/3bzzj25z.
If you or anyone in your family were bitten by a bat or other animal or had direct contact with a bat or other potentially rabid animal, wash out the area of any animal bite or scratch with soap and running water for at least 10 minutes. A bat’s teeth and claws are very small, and their bites or scratches may not be visible. Call LCPHSS if you have had any direct contact with a bat or other potentially rabid animal or were bitten or scratched by a potentially rabid animal to discuss the potential for rabies exposure and the need for treatment.
Seek medical care right away for a bite or scratch from a bat or other potentially rabid animal. Rabies can be prevented with appropriate and timely medical treatment, called rabies post-exposure prophylaxis, after a rabies exposure.
If your pet has contact with a bat, contact your veterinarian immediately. Dogs, cats, ferrets, and horses will need to be revaccinated if they could have been exposed to rabies virus.
Do not bring bats or other animals to LCPHSS unless you are advised to do so by public health staff.
More information about bats and rabies can be found at https://tinyurl.com/sj8c9xzy and at LCPHSS’ page at https://tinyurl.com/5h7ws64h.
