Rabid Bat may be Risk to Humans
May 25, 2007, Boulder, CO - Boulder County Public
Health (BCPH) is warning residents not to handle any bats,
after a bat found on May 23 near Horizon K-8 School and
Admiral Burke Park tested positive for rabies. BCPH staff is
working with the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) to
alert parents of the children attending that school, as well
as the City of Boulder Parks and Open Space. The area will
be posted with warning signs this afternoon.
Bats are the most common animal source of rabies in
Colorado. On average, about 15 percent of bats submitted for
rabies testing test positive for the disease. Other wild
animals that may carry rabies include skunks, raccoons, and
foxes.
“It is normal to find a bat hanging under the eaves of a
house, under a porch overhang, or hidden behind shutters or
gutters,” said Joe Malinowski, BCPH Vector Control Program
Coordinator. “But, if you see one in the house or on the
ground, please be cautious. Because bats are active mostly
at night, seeing one during the day is a good indication
that something is wrong.”
“People are most commonly exposed when they pick a bat off
the ground, try to remove a bat from their house, or take a
bat from a family pet,” said Malinowski. “It is important
that people avoid picking up or handling bats. It is also
important that your pets’ rabies vaccinations are
up-to-date, since pets are often the first to encounter a
bat.”
Humans can get the disease from the bite or scratch of an
animal infected with rabies (a rabid animal). Rabies is an
infectious viral disease that affects the nervous system and
is always fatal, unless it is treated before any symptoms
appear.
Pets that are exposed to rabid animals and don’t have
up-to-date vaccinations for rabies are required to be held
in an approved quarantine site for 90 days, often costing
more than $1,000. If the pet is un-vaccinated, euthanasia
may be recommended.
Treatment to rabies exposure in humans involves a series of
five injections given in the arm over a 28-day period.
Exposure is generally a bite or scratch by an infected
animal, and sometimes is almost undetectable, such as a tiny
puncture of the skin from a bat.
Public health officials recommend the following precautions
be taken to reduce your risk of exposure to rabies:
- DO NOT not disturb or touch any bat found outdoors.
- When indoors, if you are absolutely certain no pets
or people had contact with the bat, confine the bat to a
room and open an outside window or door to let it
escape.
- If there is any possibility that a person or pet may
have had contact with a bat – such as waking up to find
a bat in the room – the bat should be carefully captured
for testing. Wearing heavy leather gloves, wait until
the bat lands, place a coffee can or box over it, slide
a piece of cardboard underneath it, and tape it down
securely. Bats can escape through very small openings.
- If a person or pet has been bitten or has had
contact with the bat, or if you encounter an
abnormal-acting or obviously injured bat, contact the
local animal control agency or Boulder County Public
Health to arrange for testing of the bat and seek
medical care immediately.
For more information, call Boulder County Public Health
at 303-441-1564 or visit the website at
www.BoulderCountyHealth.org, or
www.BoulderCountyVector.org
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