WHIDBEY ISLAND STATION, Wash. — Public health officials said last week that a bat that bit a person on Whidbey Island tested positive for rabies.
Island County says that on August 1, a person on Whidbey Island found a big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) outside their house. Someone else in the neighborhood got rabies after being bitten by the bat.
The person got a post-exposure vaccination, and as of Thursday, officials say they are healthy.
Officials say that bats are the only mammals in Washington that are known to carry rabies. However, they can give rabies to other animals in Washington. In Washington state this year, this was the fourth case of bat rabies.
Rabies is a disease that can kill both people and animals, but it can be avoided by getting the right medical care after being exposed to rabies. Officials say that if a bat bites or scratches you, you should wash the area with soap and water and then call your doctor.
The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) says people shouldn’t touch or handle wild animals and that kids should never touch bats, even if they are dead. Kids should always tell an adult if they see a bat at school, home, or with a pet, the DOH said. Health officials in the state told people to stay away from wild animals.
Officials say that all dogs, cats, and rats in Washington state need to have their rabies shots up to date.
People in Washington State can tell the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife about the wildlife they see or animals that are sick or dead.
