King County resident, puppy exposed to rabies from bat in 1st case of 2023

June 16 2023 By Avi HEALTH ALERT

1.A family in eastern King County may have been exposed to rabies after their puppy, which was not vaccinated, had contact with a bat in their neighborhood.

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2.The Washington State Public Health Laboratory confirmed that the bat tested positive for rabies when it was captured.

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3.In such cases, advice is available from the public health sector for people and animals who may have been exposed.

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4.In 2022, Public Health helped test 43 bats for rabies after they were in touch with humans; of those, five were positive.

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5.Warmer temperatures bring bats out of hibernation, leading to more contacts between humans and bats.

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6.Bats can spread rabies by direct skin-to-skin contact or through their saliva.If you have touch with a bat, you should immediately wash the area with soap and water.

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7.If your pet has come into touch with a bat, get them vaccinated against rabies and take them to the clinic right away.

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