SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Aug. 10, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — The Utah Public Health Laboratory has confirmed the seventh case of rabies in bats it has tested this year, officials said.
The UPHL warned in a news release issued Wednesday the public needs to avoid contact with wild animals, as well as pets or livestock that have had contact with potentially infected wildlife.
“Another common route of exposure (to rabies) is through contact with pets or livestock that have had contact with potentially infected wildlife,” the news release said.
“Signs of rabies include obvious changes in normal behavior like aggression, attacking without provocation, foaming at the mouth, no interest in food or water, staggering, or paralysis.”
Approximately 15 to 25 bats test positive for rabies every year in Utah, the news release said, and raccoons, skunks, foxes and coyotes are also considered high-risk species in rabies exposures.
“There is no treatment for rabies once clinical signs appear and it is always fatal,” the news release said. “Therefore, all cases of potential exposure need to be taken seriously and reported as soon as possible.
Wild animals infected with rabies may act tame, the news release said, and infected bats may fly around in the daytime, rest on the ground or show no signs of infection at all.
“All human and animal exposures to bats need to be reported regardless of whether the bat appears to be rabid,” the news release adds.
The UPHL said a person or animal bitten by a bat needs to have the bite wound immediately washed. If possible, the bat responsible for the bite should be caught by a person wearing leather gloves so it can be tested for rabies, and a bat should never be handled with bare hands. The public can contact a local animal control center or the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources to collect the bat, who needs to be tested for the infection to determine if the bite victim needs a rabies vaccination.
“Vaccines for pets and livestock are very effective at preventing the disease,” the news release goes on. “While most people are aware of the importance of ensuring dogs are up to date on rabies vaccinations, it is equally important that cats and horses receive rabies vaccinations. Cats are the most common domestic animal to be reported as positive for rabies in the United States. A typical exposure scenario is a house cat that is found playing with a dead bat or leaves a dead bat on the doorstep.”
The UPHL asks that if you observe an animal exhibiting any of these signs, or think that a pet or person may have been exposed to a rabid animal, that you call 1-888-EPI-UTAH (374-8824) or your local health department.
