Surge In Michigan Animals With Rabies: What To Know

MICHIGAN – The Department of Health and Human Services of Michigan (MDHHS) sees a slight increase in bats tested positive for rabies, they announced and urge families to take precautions.

of Laboratories identified rabies in 22 bats and 2 skunks. Last year at this time, MDHHS had identified nine bats with rabies.

Michiganders are reminded to adopt practices that protect their families and animals from rabies, which is fatal for humans.

Rabies is a viral disease of mammals transmitted by the bite or scratch of an infected animal. Bats and skunks are the most common vectors of rabies in Michigan. In 2017, there were 38 animal rabies cases in Michigan, including 35 bats, two skunks and one cat.

Local health services in Michigan are seeing increased calls from citizens about meetings with bats during the warm months of May to September. Meanwhile, bats are more active, looking for food and raising their young. Although bats are beneficial to our ecosystem, they are also one of the animal species that naturally harbor the rabies virus.

People or pets are usually exposed to rabies when they are bitten by an infected animal. Other situations may present a risk when a bat is found in a room with sleeping people, or that a bat is found with an unattended child or an adult in a state of disrepair. Drunk that is not sure to have been in contact with the bat. In these cases, it is important to collect the bat for rabies testing.

Rabies is deadly to humans. Post-exposure treatment is given to people exposed to a potentially rabid animal. Treatment is not necessary if the animal is rabies negative.

Protect your family and animals from rabies by taking these simple steps:

• Avoid contact with wild animals. Do not keep wild animals as pets and do not try to rehabilitate wild animals yourself. Wild animals can be rabies without looking sick.
• If a wild animal appears to be ill, report it to the Ministry of Natural Resources online or at 517-336-5030.
• If you get bitten or scratched by an animal, see a doctor immediately and alert the local health department. A directory of local public health departments is available on Malph.org.
• If you find a bat in your home, confine it securely or pick up the bat if possible and contact your local health department to determine if it should be tested for rabies. More information on how to collect a bat safely can be found on the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• If you can not or do not want to self-conceal a bat, you can consider hiring a bat / wild animal removal service.
• Protect your pets by having them vaccinated against rabies. Even cats that live inside and never go out can encounter a bat that enters the house.
• If your pet is bitten or scratched by a wild animal, or if you believe that he has had unsupervised contact with wildlife, contact your veterinarian as soon as possible. Even if your pet is currently vaccinated against rabies, extra steps can be taken to prevent them from getting infected. If possible, confine or safely capture the wild animal without touching it and contact the animal control officer or the local veterinarian, as the animal may need to be tested for rabies.

More information on rabies and a map of rabies-positive animals in Michigan can be found at Michigan.gov/rabies. [1969017] Detroit Patch for more regional news and real-time alerts.