Another Rabid Bat Found In King County

SEATAC, WA - King County health officials on Wednesday confirmed another case of rabies found in a bat, which is at least the fifth case locally so far this year. The new rabid bat was found at Angle Lake Park in SeaTac, according to King County. The bat was discovered on the ground Tuesday near a lifeguard shack.

The bat was euthanized by county animal control, and its rabies was confirmed in a lab test on Wednesday. Health officials are asking anyone who might've had contact with a bat at Angle Lake on either Monday or Tuesday to contact them.

Last week, Pierce County health officials confirmed that a bat found in a Gig Harbor home had rabies - the second rabid bat found in that county this year. Two rabid bats have been found in Seattle in August: one at Green Lake and another in the Ballard neighborhood.

No humans have been diagnosed with rabies, although the Gig Harbor family who found the rabid bat in their home were given the rabies vaccine.

Bats are the only known animal in Washington state that carry rabies, and it's estimated that only about 1 percent of the state's bats carry the disease. If you see or find a bat, contact your local health department.

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