Second Rabid Bat Confirmed In Pierce County

GIG HARBOR, WA - A bat that was found inside a Gig Harbor house has tested positive for rabies, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department is reporting. This is the second confirmed rabid bat in Pierce County so far in 2017. In recent weeks, two rabid bats have been confirmed in Seattle, and three have been found in Snohomish County.

According to the health department, the bat was found inside a Gig Harbor home on Aug. 22. The residents of the home safely captured the bat and delivered it to health officials. The rabies was confirmed by a lab test on Aug. 25.

The family, which includes a husband and wife and two children under age 10, are receiving a course of rabies vaccines in case they had contact with the bat. The animal was found in the bedroom area of the home.

“It can be alarming to find a bat in your home, but the family did everything right to protect themselves,” Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department Communicable Disease division director Nigel Turner said in a press release. “During the summer months, encounters between people and bats are more frequent so resident should take steps to protect themselves and their families,” Turner said.

Rabies is a deadly disease that mammals like bats and coyotes can transfer to humans through saliva, most commonly through a bite. If you discover a bat in your home or in a strange place - like along a sidewalk or in other human-dominated areas - the health department has tips on how to stay safe:

• If it's indoors, close windows, room and closet doors; turn on lights and wait for the bat to land.
• Contact the Health Department at (253) 798-6410 so we can help you determine if you need to capture the bat—dead or alive—for testing.
• If instructed to capture the bat, follow these steps: Wear heavy leather or thick rubber gloves. Never handle a bat with bare hands; place a container like a food storage dish over the bat, then slide the lid under the container and tape the top; punch small air holes in the lid of the container using a nail or small screwdriver.

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