KING COUNTY, Wash. — A resident and their dog in east King County were exposed to rabies after possibly coming in contact with a bat near their home earlier this month.
The bat was caught and taken to the Washington State Public Health Lab where it tested positive for rabies. It is the first lab-confirmed rabid bat in King County this year.
In 2002, Public Health - Seattle & King County tested 43 bats for rabies that came in contact with people. Five of those bats tested positive for rabies.
It is estimated that less than 1% of bats are actually infected with rabies.
The potential for humans to come into contact with bats increases as the weather warms up and bats come out of hibernation. According to Public Health, bats can spread rabies to humans who have bare skin contact with bats or bat saliva.
If you come into contact with a bat, Public Health recommends you:
- Wash the area of your body that came into contact with the bat with soap and water
- Call your doctor - a person exposed to rabies needs an injection of immune globulin and a series of vaccinations as soon as possible to prevent infection and death
- Report the incident to Public Health at 206-296-4774.
Pets can get rabies as well. Washington state law requires dogs, cats and ferrets to be up to date on rabies vaccinations.
Rabies is a viral disease that infects the brain and spinal cord. It is found in the saliva of an infected animal and usually spreads by a bite or scratch.
A rabies infection is almost always fatal if it goes untreated, according to Public Health.