Second Rabid Bat Found In Seattle Neighborhood

SEATTLE, WA - King County health officials have confirmed a second rabid bat has been found in North Seattle. Over the weekend, King County said that a rabid bat had been found at Green Lake by a group of teenagers. The latest rabid bat was found near the intersection of Northwest 73rd and 8th Ave Northwest in the Ballard neighborhood.

The latest rabid bat was found by a pedestrian walking by the intersection. The bat was alive when it was discovered, but had died by the time animal control officers arrived on the scene. Rabies was confirmed in a lab test that came back Thursday.

Last Saturday, the King County Health Department reported that a group of teenagers at Green Lake on Aug. 17 were seen moving a sick bat. A passerby captured the bat and brought it to heath officials for testing. The bat was found along a pathway near the boathouse at Green Lake.

According to the Snohomish Health District, a total of five rabies-infected bats have been found in the state so far in 2017. Health officials estimate that about 1 percent of bats in the wild are infected with rabies.

If you think you've come into contact with or seen a rabid bat recently, contact your local health department.

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