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