Bat tests positive for rabies in Bay County

BAY CITY, MI – A bat captured in Bay County has been tested positive for rabies.

Residents turned to Bay County Animal Control, which in turn sent the animal to Michigan. and Human Services (MDHHS) for testing.

This is the first animal to test positive for rabies in Bay County this year, reports the Bay County Health Department. On July 2, the MDHHS issued a press release urging the Michiganders to protect their families and pets from rabies after noting an increase in rabies-positive bats compared to the same period in 2017.

Bats, the only mammal capable of flying, represents a potential exposure to rabies. If a person meets a bat and there is reason to believe that she has been bitten or scratched, it is crucial to capture her for testing. Do not release a bat if you find it in the room of a sleeping person, an unattended child, a mentally disabled person or an intoxicated person, as they may have been bitten or have been exposed to the bat's saliva.

More rabid bats found in Michigan, but not in Jackson County

Bat bites usually leave no mark on the skin.

Bats caught in Bay County are sent to MDHHS. If a bat is negative for rabies, no treatment is required. However, if a bat is positive, or if the bat is not available for testing, the exposed person should receive post-exposure rabies prophylaxis as soon as possible

. to avoid being bitten. Place a box or a box of coffee on the bat, then slide a piece of cardboard under the container to catch the bat inside, then secure with a piece of tape and contact Bay County Animal Control at 989-894-0679

If you know that you have been bitten or scraped by the bat and that the exposure has occurred outside normal working hours, consult a doctor, but keep the bat

. Rabies is almost always associated with bats. Rabies is a viral disease that affects the central nervous system and is invariably fatal once symptoms appear.

"It is very common to see a rise of bats in July and August," says Joel R. Strasz. "It is extremely important to be able to test these animals, so that residents who come into contact can be treated and vaccinated properly, if necessary, unless you are sure that no one has been bitten by a bald person. mouse, your house, please capture it and send it to Animal Control for testing. "

For more information, please contact the Department of Health. Bay County at 989-895-4006 or visit our website at www.baycounty-mi.gov/health. Additional information regarding rabies can be found on the CDC website at https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/ or from MDHHS at

https: //www.michigan. gov / emergingdiseases / 0,4579,7-186 -76711_78041 —, 00.html