BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A sick bat found in southwest Bend last week has tested positive for rabies, Deschutes County Public Health announced Tuesday, urging residents to take necessary precautions to protect their families and pets from the viral disease.
Rabies is transmitted to humans and pets through a bite or scratch from an infected animal. Although post-exposure vaccination is effective, the best way to prevent rabies is to take the following precautions:
- Avoid physical contact with bats – healthy, sick, alive or dead – and keep children and pets away from bats.
- Do not hand-feed or otherwise handle stray or wild animals.
- Vaccinate all dogs, cats and ferrets against rabies. This protects them and provides an immune barrier between humans and wildlife.
The agency said bats play a valuable role in our ecosystem, and while not all bats carry rabies, they are the most commonly reported animal in the United States to be infected with rabies, so it is important to avoid contact with them.
If you see a bat active during the day, in an unusual location (such as inside a house), or flapping on the ground and unable to fly, remove children and pets to a safe location and call the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) at (541) 388-6363 or your local Wildlife Control Operator.
To protect your pets, make sure their rabies vaccinations are up to date. Dogs, cats and ferrets should be vaccinated against rabies at 3-6 months of age. A booster shot is required one year after the initial vaccination and must be renewed every three years thereafter.
Oregon law requires that dogs and cats that are not up to date on vaccinations and suspected of having rabies must be euthanized or placed in strict quarantine for four months.
If a person or pet has come into contact with a bat or is bitten by an animal, please report it immediately to Deschutes County Animal Control at (541) 693-6911 or the Deschutes County Department of Environmental Health at (541) 317-3114.
For more information about rabies, Oregon Health Authority And that Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
