The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department reports a bat found near Berea Road and the Kentucky Horse Park has tested positive for rabies. The department collected the animal outside of a residence Monday.
The LFCHD says there have been no reports of people or pets being exposed to the bat, and it’s posting notices in the area in the meantime.
This is the second confirmation of a rabid bat in Lexington this year. The health department collected one with rabies in the Seven Parks/Elizabeth Street area of Lexington in April.
Rabies can be transmitted through bites or contact with saliva through the eyes, nose, mouth or an open wound. The World Health Organization says rabies is virtually 100% fatal once symptoms start to appear. According to the Kentucky Department of Fish and WIldlife, those symptoms can include “excessive aggression, agitation, a lack of fear (especially towards people), incoordination, weakness, a head tilt, difficulty breathing or swallowing, excessive salivation, lethargy, and/or paralysis.”
The department reports 23 cases of rabies confirmed in wild animals last year, including eight bats and 15 skunks.
The health department requires keeping pets current on their rabies vaccinations. It also recommends staying away from wild animals or any animal behaving abnormally. If a bat is found in your home, do not release it and instead contain it before contacting the health department.
In case of potential exposure, the LFCHD recommends contacting the office immediately. Bats in particular have small teeth, and bite marks may not always be visible.
“If there's ever a concern, then we want the individuals to contact the health department in their local county to be able to review the situation with the health department or contact their local doctor,” LFCHS medical director Steve Davis told WEKU earlier this year.
Lexingtonians can report potential exposures to the the department’s Division of Environmental Health at 859-231-9791.
