A dead bat in a neighboring county has tested positive for rabies, according to Dr. Joe Duncan of Duncan Veterinary Clinic in Eupora.
The dead bat was found in Chickasaw County between Houston and the Webster County line, he said.
The people who found the bat called Duncan and he told them how to handle it and have it tested. They followed his advice of handling it with gloves, placing it in double resealable bags and keeping it chilled until they took it to the Health Department in Houston.
Duncan said on Sept. 11 he had confirmed that the Mississippi State Department of Health found that the bat tested positive for rabies.
Anyone who finds a bat should not pick it up with their bare hands and should warn their children not to either, Duncan said.
“If you find anything like this, take it to the Health Department or take it to a local conservation officer (in double resealable bags), who will take it to the Health Department and have it tested for free,” he said. The resealable bags should be refrigerated. not frozen, until the bat can be sent off for testing, he emphasized.
Bats and Rabies
Duncan said rabies can affect any domestic animal, and he noted that state law requires cats and dogs to have a current rabies vaccination. The vaccination is also available for horses.
Rabies is a viral disease of mammals most often transmitted through the bite of an infected animal. The rabies virus infects the central nervous system, and ultimately the brain, causing death.
Bats are the most significant animal source of rabies in Mississippi, according to information on MSDH’s website. The agency said any exposure to a bat, even if no bite is apparent, is considered a high-risk exposure to potential rabies.
Rabies Precautions
• Do not handle or touch live or dead feral animals or wild animals such as raccoons, bats, skunks, foxes and coyotes that can carry rabies.
• If you see an animal with unusual or aggressive behavior, stay away and contact your local animal control officials.
