News Archive

Health Department Urges Caution When in Close Contact With Bats (July 2010)

As many people with sharp eyes can attest, summer evenings are prime time for bat activity. The interesting critters are a part of our summer ecosystem, and from July through early fall the numbers of bats in Larimer County increase as several species reside or migrate through our area.

Three bats captured in Larimer County the week of July 12th were recently confirmed as positive for rabies. As beneficial as bats may be for pollination and pest control, there are some precautions that people need to take to avoid human/bat encounters that could transmit rabies, a deadly disease in humans and pets.

"This summer's numbers (of bats confirmed positive for rabies) have not been unusual," said Dr. Adrienne LeBailly, director of the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment. "When you have an increased population of bats, as we do during the summer, it's not unusual for some to have rabies. These are usually the bats that behave abnormally and allow humans or pets to get near them."

The bats found recently were either handled by a person or found in close contact to people or family pets.

The issue of rabies in bats recurs each summer when the health department receives reports of positive rabies tests in bats that have been collected by the Larimer Humane Society and tested by the CSU veterinary lab or the state health department.

According to LeBailly, most bats do not carry rabies and pose little health risk if not touched by people or pets. However, bats that are visible and approachable during the day, behave abnormally, have trouble flying, or allow a person to handle them are more likely to be infected with rabies. "In Larimer County, a bat that has direct contact with humans or pets has about a 10-15 percent chance of being infected with rabies."

A person or a family pet could come in close enough contact with an infected bat that the bat can pass the infection on through bites or getting bat saliva in small cuts or sores. Bats have very tiny, sharp teeth, and a person can often be bitten without being aware of it.

Each summer a small number of Larimer County residents receive rabies post-exposure treatment for possible contact with rabid bats. These vaccinations are expensive, but will prevent rabies illness from occurring in the event the person was infected. If a bat that may have bitten or scratched a person is tested and found positive for rabies, it is always recommended that rabies vaccinations be started immediately. Rabies can also be carried by dogs, cats, raccoons and skunks after being infected by an animal with rabies. Any infected mammal can transmit the infection to humans through a bite.

"Rabies is a virtually always a fatal disease," said LeBailly. "Waiting for treatment until symptoms appear means it's too late."

Sometimes it is recommended that a person receive preventive treatment for rabies when the actual bat was not caught or tested. "If a person has been bitten or otherwise exposed to bat saliva, but was unable to capture the bat for testing, it's recommended that they too undergo rabies post-exposure treatment as a precaution," LeBailly said. "Better to be safe and prevent any possible rabies infection." She added that testing a bat for rabies not only reveals positive cases, but also reveals if a bat does not carry rabies, thus sparing a person the vaccine treatment series.

The vaccine, once feared because of the required painful multiple shots in the abdomen, is now given in a series of five injections in the upper arm, given over four visits. The first treatment for rabies preventive treatment consists of two injections and is usually given in an emergency room; the three subsequent visits may be done in the ER or in a physician's office. The health department does not administer rabies post-exposure treatment.

There are steps we all can take to help prevent a human/bat rabies exposure:
-- First, never touch a wild bat or any other wild animal. A healthy bat will likely not come near enough to you to be touched, so a bat that is slow, lying on the ground or who lands on a person could be showing signs of illness. If you can touch it, chances are it is sick. If you find a group of baby bats, they too should not be touched.
-- Keep your doors and windows covered with intact screens. Do not leave screenless doors or windows open in the evening.
-- If you have bats in your house, try to find the source of their entrance and seal it.
-- If you find a dead bat, do not pick it up with your hands, even if you're wearing gloves. Use a shovel.
-- Teach your children that they should never touch a bat. If they find one, they should leave it where it is and tell an adult.
-- If you are bitten by a bat or if you suspect you've been exposed to its saliva, try to contain the bat without touching it, and call the Larimer Humane Society.

To report a dead bat or bat encounter, call the Larimer Humane Society at 226-3647, Ext. 5 or the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment at 498-6775.

Keep your pets vaccinated!

Be sure your pets are up to date on their rabies vaccines. Even an indoor cat can get rabies if bitten inside the house. Unvaccinated dogs and cats that are exposed to a rabies positive bat or other animal with rabies will either have to be euthanized or placed under a mandatory 180-day strict quarantine with the first 90 days at a licensed kennel or veterinary clinic. The high bills from boarding and/or the heartbreak of losing a beloved pet to rabies can be prevented simply by keeping your pets current on their vaccinations.