EVERETT — Three bats in Snohomish County have tested positive for rabies — the most since 2010.
The most recent rabies-positive bat entered a home in the Mill Creek area. People living in the home are being given post-exposure treatments and a pet is being monitored, said Heather Thomas, a Snohomish Health District spokeswoman.
Most bats don’t have rabies, only an estimated 6 percent. “They eat a lot of bugs,” Thomas said.
But people should take precautions if they find a bat in the daytime or one that is unable to fly. “Chances are, they’re sick,” she said.
Anyone who might have been bitten, scratched or simply was sleeping in a room where a bat was later found should contact the Snohomish Health District’s Communicable Disease team at 425-339-5278. After-hours and on weekends, leave a message with the answering service. Someone from the health district will return the call.
The bat will need to be captured to be tested for rabies.
“The big thing is don’t use bare hands,” Thomas said. Slip on gloves first then put it in a container and poke air holes in it. Store it in a quiet place, like a basement or a garage and wait to get instructions from the health district.
More information on how to capture a potentially rabid bat is available at bit.ly/2smZH8G.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
