SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Oct. 2, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — A bat found in downtown Salt Lake City’s Pioneer Park has tested positive for rabies, and health officials are trying to find anyone who may have touched the infected animal.
The Salt Lake County Health Department was notified last night, says a statement released by the agency.
“Salt Lake County Animal Services collected the bat from the park, where people assumed to be experiencing homelessness informed the animal services officer that members of the unsheltered community had handled the bat, potentially for an extended period.
“SLCoHD is canvassing the park this afternoon to distribute flyers and find people who had contact with the bat so they can receive medication to prevent rabies infection. The health department is also working closely with Fourth Street Clinic, area homeless resource centers and other partners that serve the unsheltered community to inform people who frequent the park of this situation.”
Anyone who touched the bat is urged to “call 385-468-4222 (option 4) immediately to be evaluated for rabies preventive medication. If you are experiencing homelessness and touched or were touched by a bat, you may also visit Fourth Street Clinic (409 W. 400 South) or a hospital emergency department; be sure to tell them about your contact with a bat. Treatment with rabies immunoglobulin after an exposure is extremely effective when given in time (before symptoms appear).”
The variety of bat involved was not revealed.
Healthy bats usually avoid people and do not pose a threat to humans, the statement says. During the day, it is normal to find them hanging upside down on the side of buildings or in trees. A bat roosting on the exterior of your home and behaving normally is not a threat and you should leave the bat alone.
“Bats with rabies may behave unusually, such as entering areas they would usually avoid or spending time on the ground. They may also be weak, dehydrated or unable to fly, making them more approachable than usual.”
If you encounter a bat on the ground or in an unusual place:
- Do not touch, catch, or harm it
- Keep children and pets away
- Report the bat’s location to your local animal control agency
Utah law protects all bat species; it is illegal to intentionally harm a bat because bats are valuable to our environment and an essential component of our ecosystem—they provide pest control, pollinate plants and disperse seeds.
Even though only a small percentage of bats have rabies, it is important that people avoid contact with all wild animals because only a laboratory test (after an animal’s death) can determine if an animal has rabies. It is also important that pets are current on vaccines in case they encounter a wild animal that has rabies, and state law requires pet dogs, cats and ferrets to be immunized against rabies.
If a bat is roosting in your attic, you can contact a local, permitted wildlife nuisance control company for help. The company will coordinate with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources to authorize removal at specific times of the year when bat relocation is allowed.
If a bat has been inside the living area of your home, call SLCoHD at 385-468-4222 (option 4) to be evaluated for rabies prevention medication.
Rabies is an infectious viral disease that affects the nervous system of humans and other mammals. People usually get rabies from the bite or scratch of an animal with rabies. It is also possible for people to get rabies if infectious material from a rabid animal, such as saliva or brain matter, gets into their eyes, nose, mouth or a wound. Any wild mammal—such as a raccoon, skunk, fox or bat—could have rabies and transmit it to people. In the U.S., bats are the most commonly reported animal to have rabies. Bat scratches can be so tiny that people sometimes don’t know they have been scratched, which is why any contact with a bat confirmed to have rabies is considered an exposure.
People cannot get rabies just from seeing a rabid animal, and feces, blood and urine do not transmit rabies.
Symptoms of rabies in humans may include insomnia, anxiety, confusion, slight or partial paralysis, excitation, hallucinations, agitation, increase in saliva, difficulty swallowing and fear of water. Once clinical signs of rabies appear, the disease is considered 100% fatal.
