Two bats test positive for rabies in Deschutes County

Two bats found in the southeast Bend area have recently tested positive for rabies. Rabies is transmitted through the bite of an infected animal and while post exposure vaccination is effective, the best plan is prevention.

Deschutes County Health Services reminds you to take necessary precautions to protect yourself and your pets from rabies:

• Avoid physical contact with bats – healthy, sick, alive, or dead. Be sure to keep children and pets away from bats. 
• Do not hand feed or otherwise handle stray animals and wildlife.
• Vaccinate all dogs and cats against rabies. This protects them and provides an immune barrier between humans and wild animals.

While bats play a valuable role in nature, contact with humans should be avoided. Sick bats may be seen flopping around on the ground or otherwise acting unusual. If you find a sick bat or other sick wildlife on your property, take children and pets indoors and call the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) at (541) 388-6363 or visit this site to contact a local Wildlife Control Operator.

To protect your pet, make sure their rabies vaccinations are up to date. Dogs, cats, and ferrets should be vaccinated against rabies at three to six months of age. After initial vaccination, a booster is required in one year and then every three years after that. Under Oregon law, dogs and cats that do not have current vaccinations and are suspected of exposure to rabies must be euthanized or placed under strict quarantine for four months.

If a person or pet does come in physical contact with a bat or is bitten by an animal, promptly report it to Deschutes County Animal Control at (541) 693-6911 or Deschutes County Environmental Health at (541) 317-3114.

For more information about rabies, please visit the Oregon Health Authority or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Media Contact: Eric Mone, Supervisor, Environmental Health, (541) 388-6566