According to staff at the Seattle Department of Public Health, in a news release on Friday, a rabid bat was found Wednesday on the sidewalk on University Way Northeast between NE 41st and 42nd Streets.
In the statement, the department urged “anyone who might have had physical contact” with the bat to seek medical attention even if they were not bitten.
Rabies is a viral disease that infects the central nervous system of humans and animals. It is almost always fatal once symptoms begin, the department said.
The department also said that anyone concerned that they may have had contact with the bat could call the public health department.
According to the department, when the bat was found on the sidewalk Wednesday, it did not yet know it had rabies, but its test came back positive for the disease Friday.
As of Friday, no people are known to have come into contact with the bat, according to the department.
Rabies can be transferred from an animal to a person via touch or through contact with an animal’s saliva, according to the department.
“Rabies is treatable if caught before symptoms appear, so identifying anyone who has had contact with the bat as soon as possible is important,” said Jocelyn Mullins, Public Health Veterinarian at Public Health – Seattle & King County. “Contact includes touching a bat, being bitten or scratched, or having any other bare skin contact with a bat or its saliva.”
The department said that if pets or other animals are thought to have come into contact with the bat, or with any other animal suspected of having rabies, the owner should contact a veterinarian immediately.
“The best way to prevent rabies in pets is to ensure they are up-to-date on rabies vaccinations,” the department said.
The department asked anyone who finds a bat in their house or sees one outside not to touch it and, if they are concerned the animal might be sick, to call animal control.