SW Bend resident says her cat brought home a dead bat that tested positive for rabies

(Update: Owner talks about a cat bringing home a bat)

“Everything was funny … so you have a scared moment”

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Colleen Quinn, a resident of Southwest Bend, said Thursday she still couldn’t believe a cat brought a dead and rabid bat into her home.

Deschutes County health officials confirmed the dead bat tested positive for rabies.

“It was all funny – until the bat actually tested positive for rabies,” Quinn said Thursday. “And then you have a time when you’re scared – you think – my kids might get sick, or I might get sick.”

One of Quinn’s cats brought the dead animal back to his home in Woods Valley Place on July 9. She says she didn’t even realize it was a bat until she picked it up to throw it away. And Quinn didn’t consider the possibility of the bat being enraged until a friend encouraged him to get it tested.

Rabies is transmitted by bites from an infected animal, and while post-exposure vaccination is effective, prevention is the best plan. Deschutes County Health Departments reminded residents to take the necessary precautions to protect people and pets from rabies:

• Avoid physical contact with bats – healthy, sick, alive or dead. Make sure to keep children and pets away from bats.
• Do not hand feed or handle stray animals and wildlife.
• Vaccinate all dogs, cats and ferrets against rabies. This protects them and provides an immune barrier between humans and wild animals.

“There are two things people can do to protect themselves and their pets from rabies,” said Emilio DeBess, public health veterinarian for the Oregon Health Authority. “Never handle bats and make sure your cats and dogs are up to date with their rabies vaccines.”

DeBess added that bats are the main vector of rabies in the state, adding that it is now peak season.

“We usually get a lot of positive animals during the summer, starting somewhere in March or April.” DeBess said.

To protect your pet, make sure their rabies vaccines are up to date. Dogs, cats and ferrets should be vaccinated against rabies when they are three to six months old. After the initial vaccination, a booster is required every one year and then every three years thereafter. Under Oregon law, dogs and cats or ferrets that do not have up-to-date vaccines and are suspected of being exposed to rabies must be euthanized or placed in strict quarantine for four months.

Quinn said her cats were currently in quarantine at home since they handled the bat.

Bats play an important role in the ecosystem, especially in controlling insects, mainly at night. “If you find a bat during the day, it’s probably not healthy and should be avoided,” DeBess added. Bats with rabies bite normally in self-defense and pose little threat to those who do not handle them.

Rabies is an infectious viral disease that affects the nervous system and is almost always caused by exposure from a rabid animal. Exposure is usually through a bite, but can also occur through scratching and saliva contact with broken skin. It is almost always fatal once symptoms start.

If a person or pet is bitten by a bat, promptly report it to the Deschutes County Environmental Health Department at (541) 317-3114 and report the bite to your doctor.

For more information on rabies
Oregon Health Authority: http://public.health.oregon.gov/DiseasesConditions/DiseasesAZ/Pages/disease.aspx?did=41
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/rabies/