A bat found in Lexington has tested positive for rabies. A rabies alert has been issued for Jackson County
Lexington, KY (WKYT) – The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department says the bat was found in the area of Winding Drive and Willowood Road in southern Lexington. [no_toc]
The health department posted signs in the area to notify people who live nearby.
People are encouraged to make sure their pets have a current rabies vaccination.
Property owners are asked to carefully examine their homes and other structures to make sure bats can’t enter.
Bats active during the day or bats that are unable to fly might be suspected of having rabies.
Video Transcription
Summer, doesn’t just mean warm weather. It can also mean increased exposure to rabies and Kentucky. Health officials are warning people in the Commonwealth to take it seriously. It is a fatal disease. Bats are a major carrier of rabies. A bite, scratch or saliva can spread the disease.
They’re really having a feeding frenzy right now.
You may see them at dusk and Dawn flying around lights like this one, but they can also make themselves comfortable and your own house.
If you go to your attic and you should turn off the lights if you see daylight anywhere, that means that there is an openings.
Mathis said quite a few bats. Caption in Lexington, test positive for rabies. It’s important to take precautions like leaving wildlife alone.
You see a bat. Don’t handle a bat. Don’t bother a bat.
Keep an eye on your children and pets when they’re outside and stay up to date on your vaccinations as well as your pets in Lexington. Shelby Lofton, w K Y. T.
Rabies Prevention With Pets
There are several things you can do to protect your pet from rabies.
- First, visit your veterinarian with your pet on a regular basis and keep rabies vaccinations up-to-date for all cats, ferrets, and dogs.
- Second, maintain control of your pets by keeping cats and ferrets indoors and keeping dogs under direct supervision.
- Third, spay or neuter your pets to help reduce the number of unwanted pets that may not be properly cared for or vaccinated regularly.
Finally, call a professional to remove all stray animals from your neighborhood since these animals may be unvaccinated or ill.
The importance of vaccinating your pet
While wildlife are much more likely to be rabid than are domestic animals in the United States, people have much more contact with domestic animals than with wildlife. Your pets and other domestic animals can be infected when they are bitten by rabid wild animals, and this type of “spillover” increases the risk to people.
Rabies Prevention With People
Understanding your rabies risk and knowing what to do after contact with animals can save lives. Any mammal can get rabies, but the most commonly affected animals in the United States are raccoons, skunks, bats, and foxes — so the best way to avoid rabies in the U.S. is to stay away from wildlife. Leave all wildlife alone, including injured animals. If you find an injured animal, don’t touch it; contact local authorities for assistance.
Rabies in dogs is still common in many countries outside the United States, so find out if rabies is present in dogs or wildlife at your destination before international travel.
Because pets can get rabies from wildlife and then could spread it to humans, preventing rabies in pets is also an important step in preventing human rabies cases.
If you do come into contact with a rabid animal, rabies in humans is 100% preventable through prompt appropriate medical care. If you are bitten, scratched, or unsure, talk to a healthcare provider about whether you need PEP.