SEATTLE \u2014 A rabid bat was found Tuesday on a residential road near Seattle’s Washington Park Arboretum.<\/p>\n
Even if not bitten, anyone who may have had contact with the bat should get a medical evaluation immediately or call Public Health \u2013 Seattle & King County at 206-296-4774 to determine whether preventive rabies treatment is needed.<\/p>\n
While rabies can be fatal, it can be treated if caught early before any symptoms arise.<\/p>\n
According to Public Health, the bat was first discovered at 1726 Boyer Avenue East after a resident found a note on their door saying two people had given a sick bat water.<\/p>\n
The following day, an animal control agency euthanized the bat. Public Health tested the bat on Thursday, which showed it was positive for rabies.<\/p>\n
The two people who gave water to the bat have not been identified, and so far, no one else is known to have been exposed to the bat.<\/p>\n
Any person or animal that touched or had contact with the bat or its saliva could get rabies, which is almost always fatal once symptoms begin, Public Health said. Time is of the essence for anyone who\u2019s had contact.<\/p>\n
“Contact includes touching a bat, being bitten, scratched, or any other bare skin contact with a bat or its saliva,\u201d said Elysia Gonzales, Medical Epidemiologist at Public Health \u2013 Seattle & King County.<\/p>\n
If your pet may have been exposed to the bat, contact a veterinarian immediately.<\/p>\n
Even if pets are current on their rabies vaccine, they need to be revaccinated if they had contact with a bat.<\/p>\n
What to do if you find a bat<\/p>\n
See a bat outside? Don\u2019t touch it. If you\u2019re worried that it\u2019s sick, call animal control.<\/p>\n