The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit is warning residents to be cautious around bats after receiving confirmation that a bat tested positive for rabies in the Cobourg area.
Rabies is almost always a fatal disease caused by a virus that affects the central nervous system of warm-blooded animals, including humans. Rabies is transmitted when there is contact with the saliva of an infected animal through a bite, lick or scratch. A post-exposure vaccine is available for humans in the event of contact with a rabid animal.
In this case, the bat was picked up from the ground by a dog. The bat was then tested and found to be positive for the rabies virus. There was no human exposure and the dog had been vaccinated against rabies.
Bats are wild animals and should not be approached or touched. Never try to catch a bat or keep one as a pet. If you have bats living on your property and want to remove them, contact a professional pest control company or wildlife removal company.
“Contact with any wild animal, including bats, should be avoided,” said Md Azad, a Public Health Inspector with the HKPR District Health Unit. “It’s never worth the risk.”
Bats in the home can be a nuisance and potential hazard to you and your family. Bats are also capable of transmitting rabies to humans and other animals. Although most animal bites are readily apparent, bites inflicted by bats on an infant, a child or those with cognitive impairments, may not be felt or leave any visible bite marks.
Please follow these instructions when it comes to bats:
• If you suspect you may have been bitten or had contact with a bat, report this to both your family doctor and the HKPR District Health Unit at 1-866-888-4577.
• If you discover a bat outdoors that is injured, acting strange or dead, do not touch it.
• If you are bitten or scratched by a bat that is discovered in your home, leave the room, close the door and contact a wildlife removal company. Do not touch a bat with your bare hands. If there was no human contact (bite or scratch) open a window and allow it to get out.
