Two rabid bats have been found in Washtenaw County so far in 2018, according to the Washtenaw County Health Department.
“We typically see a couple rabid bats in the county each year,” says Judy Gwozdek, communicable disease coordinator at the Washtenaw County Health Department. “Bat encounters tend to increase in the summer and fall months. Our public health nurses are available to talk through each situation and determine if there was any risk of exposure to rabies. This is critical, because rabies is almost always fatal if not prevented with post-exposure vaccination.”
The two rabid bats identified were found in the 48104 zip code in January and the 48103 zip code in May.
Health officials say that if you find a bat in your house, don't let it out until you talk with the health department. Bat bites are so small they are often undetectable, and costly rabies post-exposure treatments can be avoided if animals are captured and sent for rabies testing.
The health depatrment reminds residents to report any bat exposures or animal bites to 734-544-6700.
