Another bat find prompts warning
RATHDRUM - A young girl who found a sick bat at the Rathdrum skate park Sunday has officials warning the public not to handle living or dead bats.
Rathdrum Police Chief Kevin Fuhr said it's unclear whether the girl handled the bat, but the mother of the child was advised to take the youth to the hospital to be checked.
"The bat was turned over to our animal control officer to be sent to the Panhandle Health District to be checked for rabies testing as it appeared sick," Fuhr said.
Melanie Collett, PHD spokeswoman, said it typically takes two or three days to get results back from the state lab.
"We recommend that people don't handle or bother bats," Collett said. "And people should be aware of the signs that a bat may be sick such as it being out during the day (and when it can be touched on the ground.)"
Fuhr said police departments, which have animal control officers, should be contacted immediately if people find a sick bat. The public should not touch them.
"The last thing we need is for people to pick them up and run the risk of getting bit," Fuhr said.
Public officials are on alert since PHD reported on Friday that a dead bat, found along the shore of Priest Lake, has tested positive for rabies.
A woman discovered the bat on July 7 while picking up debris and unintentionally handled the bat with her bare hands.
Tests by the state lab confirmed the bat was infected with rabies. As a precaution, the woman is now receiving post-exposure prophylaxis vaccine treatments to prevent illness.
Rabies is a preventable disease caused by a virus that people and other mammals can get through the bite of a rabid animal, most commonly bats. Rabies infection in humans and animals is fatal without timely medical intervention.
People should make sure their dogs, horses and other pets are current on their rabies vaccinations. Last year in Idaho, 11 bats tested positive for rabies. One was from Kootenai County and one from Boundary County. The last human case of rabies in Idaho was reported in 1978.