Health department urges public to avoid bats after recent rabies exposures

The Southwest Utah Public Health Department is warning people to avoid bats after several recent human exposures to rabies-positive bats.

Health officials said the impacted individuals were treated with preventative vaccinations.

“Rabies vaccine is very effective when given soon,” said Dr. David Blodgett, SWUPHD Director. “Every year we have people in our district who have to get a series of shots after actual or suspected exposure to rabid animals, mostly bats. If the disease is left untreated and starts to show symptoms, it is nearly always fatal.”

Rabies is a deadly virus spread to people from the saliva of infected animals. In the United States, those animals include bats, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, and skunks.

Health officials said most all rabies cases identified in southwest Utah occur in bats or animals that have been bitten by bats.

To avoid rabies infection:

• Back off and don’t touch any wild animal that lets you get close to it or seems sick or aggressive.
• Seek immediate medical care if you’ve been bitten by an animal. If the animal can be contained or captured without further injury to yourself or others, do so. It can then be tested for rabies to determine if you should get the rabies vaccine.
• Seek immediate medical attention if you may have been exposed to an animal suspected of having rabies, even if you’re unsure you were bitten. If you have physical contact with a bat or awaken to find a bat in the room, assume you’ve been bitten.
• Vaccinate your pets against rabies.

For more information, visit swuhealth.org/rabies.