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Bat found in St. Clair County tests positive for rabies: What to know

Once symptoms appear, rabies is almost always deadly

Tippy Dam Bat Hibernaculum Survey (David Kenyon, Copyright 2004 State of Michigan)

ST. CLAIR COUNTY, Mich. – A bat found in St. Clair County tested positive for rabies.

This is the second bat in Michigan that has tested positive for rabies this year. On average, about 40 bats test positive across Michigan each year.

Rabies is a preventable viral disease that is most commonly transmitted by a rabid animal bite. It is mostly found in bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes. The disease can be prevented by vaccinating pets, staying away from wildlife and stray animals, and seeing a doctor after being bitten.

“If someone has been bitten by, exposed to or comes in contact with a bat or other animal, call the Health Department at (810) 987-5300 (option 7) as soon as possible. State law requires all animal bites be reported to your local Health Department and Animal Control office,” Bailee Danneels, Communicable Disease Nurse Coordinator at the St. Clair County Health Department said.

The St. Clair County Health Department and St. Clair County Animal Control are asking residents to make sure their pets rabies vaccinations are up-to-date. If your pet was bitten or scratched by a wild animal, contact your veterinarian for instructions.

“If someone may have been exposed to a bat, do not let the bat go. Safely capture the bat for rabies testing and immediately contact St. Clair County Animal Control,” Danneels said.

How to protect yourself, your pets from rabies

You should visit your veterinarian on a regular basis and keep rabies vaccinations up-to-date for all cats, ferrets, and dogs.

Even if an animal is kept inside, keeping their vaccination against rabies up-to-date is important in case they are ever exposed to a stray animal carrying the disease.

Michigan law requires ferrets and dogs to be currently vaccinated against rabies.

If you are exposed to a wild animal, you should wash all bites or scratches immediately with soap and water.

If you think you or your animal may have had contact with rabid wildlife, you should immediately contact your veterinarian or MDARD at 800-292-3939 to determine the next steps.

What are the symptoms of rabies in a person?

The early symptoms of rabies in people may include fever, headache, general weakness, and discomfort.

People may also feel a prickling or an itching sensation at the site of the bite. The symptoms can last for days.

Over time, neurological symptoms may appear. Those can include difficulty sleeping, anxiety, confusion, hallucinations, agitation, partial paralysis, difficulty swallowing, and the fear of water.

Once symptoms appear, the disease is nearly always deadly.

What are the symptoms of rabies in an animal?

Animals with rabies may behave strangely or in unexpected ways.

The early symptoms include fever, lethargy, vomiting, and lack of appetite.

The later symptoms include weakness, difficulty walking, paralysis, seizures, difficulty swallowing, excessive salivation, abnormal behavior, and aggression.

What is the treatment for rabies?

To prevent rabies in a person that has potentially been exposed, the person undergoes a series of injections called Rabies Postexposure Prophylaxis.

People who have never received rabies vaccinations in the past must receive both the rabies antibody (rabies immune globulin, or HRIG) and the vaccine. People who have already been vaccinated will only need the rabies vaccine.

Once symptoms appear, the disease is nearly always fatal. At that point, treatment is only supportive.

The state of Michigan has more information about rabies available online.

What to do if you find a bat in your home

If you or your pets have any contact with a bat you should contact your healthcare provider.

Any direct contact with a bat should be considered a possible exposure to rabies. If you find a bat in the same room as someone that should also be considered direct contact, especially if the person was a child, sleeping, or intoxicated. Bat bites can be very small and can go unnoticed.

If someone has been exposed to a bat, do not let the bat go free. Capture the bat and contact your local health department. Your health department can set up rabies testing through the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Bureau of Laboratories, the only laboratory in Michigan that can test animals for rabies.

If the bat is unavailable for testing, the exposed person may have to undergo treatment. If the bat can be tested and is found not to have rabies, then treatment is not needed.


About the Author
Kayla Clarke headshot

Kayla is a Web Producer for ClickOnDetroit. Before she joined the team in 2018 she worked at WILX in Lansing as a digital producer.

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