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Diseases from bats
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Bats and rabies Bats are the most common carrier of rabies here in Washington State. Between 2003 and 2007, 95 (7%) of the 1,373 bats tested were rabid; 17 of the 95 were from King County. Other wildlife most likely to carry rabies are skunks, raccoons, foxes, and coyotes. Rabies is transmitted when an infected animal bites or scratches a person's skin. Always contact Public Health to assess any type of potential rabies exposure, especially from a bat. Exposure includes finding a bat in a bedroom or other place where people have been sleeping or young children playing. Do not release a bat that may have exposed a person or a pet – it may be needed for rabies testing. Post-exposure rabies vaccination of a person after exposure is highly effective in preventing rabies. |
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Rabies prevention Rabies is one of the most feared diseases because it is virtually 100% fatal. It is caused by the rabies virus and is usually transmitted by the bite of a rabid animal. While human rabies is rare in the U.S., ranging from one to seven cases a year, rabies is a significant disease worldwide causing 55,000 deaths a year. India, China and Africa have the highest number of cases. Globally, nearly all human cases are contracted from a dog bite, while in the U.S. almost all cases are due to the bite of a rabid bat. In Europe, the U.S. and other developed countries, human rabies is controlled by vaccinating dogs and cats and by administering a series of post-exposure rabies shots to people exposed to a potentially rabid animal. More information:
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