Rabid Bat Found In Benton County

This year in Oregon, 18 animals -- including 16 bats and two foxes -- have tested positive for rabies, compared to nine rabid animals in 2005 and seven in 2004.

Bats are among the common carriers of Rabies Photo courtesy: sfcdcp.org

(CORVALLIS) - Benton County public health officials announced Monday that Oregon State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory has confirmed a rabies-positive bat. The bat was found in the yard of a south Corvallis resident in the past week. The bat tested positive for rabies on Sept. 28th.

The case is still under investigation; to date no domestic animal exposure has been identified.

"Benton County Health Department monitors rabies and other communicable diseases as part of its mandate to protect the public’s health," said Dr. Tom Eversole, D.V.M., health administrator for Benton County. According to Eversole, rabies in bats is not uncommon. People should remember a bat seen in daylight hours or on the ground is mostly likely unhealthy and should be avoided. "When our dogs and cats are vaccinated against rabies, there is a buffer zone created between humans and rabid wild animals, such as bats."

"Unfortunately, when an unvaccinated pet has been exposed to rabies, the recommendation is to euthanize the pet. This is the time to examine your pets’ vaccination records and make certain they are up to date," said Dr. Emilio DeBess, public health veterinarian with Oregon's Department of Human Services.

Rabies is a viral disease that affects the nervous system of humans and mammals. It is almost 100 percent fatal once symptoms begin. The virus is carried in the saliva of an infected animal, and transmission can occur when that animal bites, or in rare instances, scratches another.

Most of the recent human rabies cases in the United States have been caused by bites from bats. People can help protect themselves through awareness of bat behavior and their presence. If bitten by a bat, a person should immediately and thoroughly clean the wound with soap and water and seek medical attention. Whenever possible, the bat should be safely captured and the local health department should be contacted to arrange for testing.

For more information on rabies visit: www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies/introduction/intro.htm and oregon.gov/DHS/ph/acd/diseases/rabies/rabies.shtml.