Bats and
Rabies
Every summer the Harford County Health
Department receives phone calls from homeowners and tenants concerned about the
discovery of a bat in their home or apartment. This event may have exposed them
and their pets to the rabies virus. Although most bats are not infected
with the rabies virus, it is impossible to tell just by observing them. If you
find a bat in your home, apartment, or condominium unit and you cannot rule out
the possibility of an exposure, the bat must be safely captured for
examination
To safely secure a bat, you will need
leather work gloves, a small box or coffee can, a piece of cardboard and tape.
When the bat lands, approach it slowly, while wearing the gloves, and place the
box or coffee can over it. Slide the cardboard under the container to trap the
bat inside. Tape the cardboard to the container securely, and punch small holes
in the cardboard, allowing the bat to breathe. Contact the Health Department or
Harford County Animal Control at 410-638-3505 to make arrangements for rabies
testing.
If you are unwilling to trap the bat
on your own, please contact your management office, a wildlife control
cooperator, or an animal control officer. Once the bat is confined, please
contact the Harford County Health Department at 410-877-2300 for pick-up and a
thorough risk assessment.
If your dog, cat, ferret, or livestock
has been exposed to a bat, and the bat is available, please contact the Harford
County Health Department to arrange for laboratory examination. If the bat is
not available for testing, you should contact either your veterinarian or the
Harford County Health Department to assess your animal’s risk and implement the
appropriate disease prevention measures.
If you would like to learn more about
bats and rabies, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention’s website. Information pertaining to bat exclusion, or
“bat-proofing” your home, may be found on the Maryland Department of Natural
Resources’ website.
http://www.cdc.gov/rabies/bats/education/index.html
http://dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Plants_Wildlife/bats/batsinhome.asp