A dead bat that had been seen diving in and out of a pool in Festus tested positive for rabies, the Jefferson County Health Department reported.
After seeing the bat going in and out of the water, the homeowner found it dead, possibly because it drowned or from illness, and turned it in to the Health Department’s Hillsboro location on Aug. 28. The next day the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services’ lab confirmed the presence of rabies in the specimen.
It is the first animal to test positive for rabies in Jefferson County since another bat tested positive in September 2011, the Health Department reported.
Judy Tufts, Health Department emergency response supervisor, said there were no reports that the bat had contact with a human or animal, but because it was found diving into a pool, the person who turned in the specimen asked for it to be tested.
“It is more common than you think,” Tufts said of animals carrying rabies. “But it is not common to test them if there has not been contact with a human or animal.”
Tufts said residents should not worry about the discovery of a bat with rabies.
Rabies is endemic to Missouri within its bat and skunk populations, and cases are most common in summer months when the weather is warmer and animals are more active.
Rabies is a preventable viral disease of mammals most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. The vast majority of rabies cases reported to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention each year occur in wild animals like raccoons, skunks, bats and foxes. There is no cure for rabies. Timely administration of rabies post-exposure vaccinations can protect those who may have been exposed to the virus.
If someone is bitten or scratched by an animal he or she should seek medical attention right away, and animals involved must be quarantined or submitted for rabies testing. If the animal cannot be located, rabies vaccinations need to be started as soon as possible. Pet owners should ensure their cats and dogs are up to date on their rabies vaccinations.
For more information about rabies, go to health.mo.gov/living/healthcondiseases/communicable/rabies.