Boulder County Bats Test Positive For Rabies

BOULDER COUNTY, CO — Two bats found in Lafayette and Longmont have tested positive for rabies, Boulder County Public Health said. Both bats were found in the backyards of homes where pets spend their time, health officials said.

Lane Drager, Boulder County Public Health consumer protection program coordinator, said that "people are most commonly exposed to rabies when they try to take a bat away from a family pet, interact with wildlife, pick up a bat off the ground, or try to remove a bat from their house.”

“It’s normal to find a bat hanging under the eaves of a house, under a porch overhang, or hidden behind shutters or gutters, but if you see one on the ground it’s an indication that something could be wrong.”

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Rabies is an infectious viral disease that affects the nervous system and is always fatal unless it is treated before any symptoms appear, health officials said. These bats are the first two animals to test positive for the disease in Boulder County so far this year.

“The best thing you can do is make sure your pet’s vaccinations are up-to-date and keep them from interacting with wild animals,” said Drager. “Unfortunately, when a pet is not vaccinated and has contact with an animal infected with rabies they must be quarantined, or even worse, euthanized.”

Exposure to rabies is generally the result of a bite or scratch by an infected animal, and it is sometimes practically undetectable, such as a tiny puncture of the skin by a bat, health officials said. Treatment for rabies exposure involves a series of vaccinations.

Public health officials recommend that the following precautions be taken to reduce the risk of exposure to rabies:

• Do not handle unfamiliar animals, wild or domestic, even if they appear friendly. Contact animal control to collect the animal.
• Thoroughly wash any wound caused by an animal with soap and water and seek medical attention immediately.
• Keep vaccinations current for all dogs, cats, and ferrets. Keep cats and ferrets inside and dogs under direct supervision.
• Contact your local public health department or animal control if people or pets have been bitten or exposed to a bat.
• Contact your local animal control officer to collect the bat for rabies testing.

Bats are the most common animal source of rabies in Colorado. On average, about 15 percent of bats submitted for rabies testing test positive for the disease, health officials said. In the last few years skunks have been a significant source of rabies throughout eastern Colorado and the now the Front Range. Other wild animals that may carry rabies include raccoons and foxes.

Residents who find a bat that may have come in contact with a person, pet, or livestock should call their local animal control office. For questions about human contact with a bat, call the Colorado Health Information Line at 1-877-462-2911.

>> General information about rabies in Boulder County can be found here.