Bat Tests Positive For Rabies In Polk County

POLK COUNTY -- Polk County Public Health Department is alerting the public regarding a recent report of a bat testing positive for rabies in Polk County. The suspected bat was submitted for testing following an encounter with a human. This is the first rabid bat in the county since 2014.

Rabies is a viral disease affecting the central nervous system. The rabies virus is transmitted from infected mammals to humans (typically via a bite) and is always fatal once symptoms appear. Human rabies is now rare in the United States, but still occurs frequently in many developing nations. The last four cases of human rabies in Wisconsin occurred in 1959, 2000, 2004 and 2010. All four Wisconsin cases acquired the disease from infected bats.

Due to this report, the public is advised of the following:

• Check your pet’s vaccination histories and update as necessary. Keep vaccine records and note type of vaccine (one year or three-year duration).
• Do not keep wild or exotic animals as pets.
• Do not handle wild animals.
• Teach your children not to approach strange animals, including others’ pets.
• If you or a family member get bitten or scratched, wash the wound immediately with liberal amounts of soap and water, and report to your local physician, your local public health department during business hours, or local law enforcement after hours.
• Any exposure (bite or non-bite) to bats should be discussed as soon as possible with your physician or your local health department.
• Do not dispose of or release an animal that has bitten a person until consulting with public health. Observation or testing of the animal can eliminate the need to administer the series of injections to prevent rabies.

If your pet has been in a fight with a wild animal, please contact your veterinarian and local health department. Wild animals are at risk, particularly skunks and bats, and often expose domestic/farm animals. Most exposures to humans or animals occur through a bite or scratch of a rabid animal.

For more information regarding rabies in animals, please contact Polk County Public Health Department at 715-485-8400.