Health authorities warn of rabid bat found in Renton

Correction: A previous version of this story reported that health officials indicated the bat was found on Park Avenue North. The health department has since corrected that information and says it has now determined the bat was found at 415 Rainier Avenue North in front of several businesses.

Health officials The Seattle-King County Health Department is warning people about a rabid bat found in Renton last week.

If you or someone you know were exposed to it, it’s important to get medical attention right away, or contact the health department, even if your weren’t bitten.

They say they know for sure two people were exposed to the bat.

Authorities had the bat immediately euthanized.

It was found Thursday at 415 Rainer Avenue North, in front of several businesses, across the street from the Renton Municipal Airport.

A King County resident was the first to spot the sick bat and reported it to a local wildlife rehabilitation center.

Workers from the center euthanized the bat and contacted public health officials.

The next day, officials determined the bat had tested positive for rabies.

Doctors are monitoring the conditions of the two people exposed to the sick animal.  They’re being evaluated to determine if they need to undergo post-exposure treatment for rabies.

Rabies is a deadly disease, so health officials are taking the incident very seriously.

If someone comes into contact with a bat or its saliva, they could be at risk of getting rabies, which is almost always fatal once symptoms begin.

The good news is rabies can be prevented, if someone is treated before symptoms appear. That’s why health officials say it’s so important to get the word out about the infected bat in Renton.

It’s not just people who are at risk.  Any animal that came into contact with the bat is also in danger.

Seattle-King County Medical Epidemiologist Elysia Gonzales, in a statement released by the health department, talked about how important treatment is for someone exposed:

“Rabies is treatable if caught before symptoms appear, so identifying anyone who has had contact with the bat as soon as possible is important. Contact includes touching a bat, being bitten, scratched, or any other bare skin contact with a bat or its saliva.”

If you think your pet might have been exposed, it will need to be re-vaccinated.  Health officials say you should get the animal to a veterinarian immediately. Dogs, cats, ferrets, and horses will have to get a new vaccine, even if they are current on rabies shots.

Anyone who thinks they may have been exposed to the bat can call the health department for more information, at (206) 296-4774.

The Seattle-King County Health Department also released the following information about the rabies viral disease:

• Treatment can prevent infection. This treatment should be given as soon as possible.
• Rabies is a viral disease of the central nervous system that is almost always fatal once symptoms begin.
• The virus is found in the saliva of an animal with rabies and is usually transmitted by a bite or scratch. Because rabies is a life threatening disease, medical advice must be sought promptly if a bat comes into contact with humans or animals.

If you find a bat:

If you find a bat inside your house, call Public Health at 206-296-4774 to discuss the situation and to determine whether the bat needs to be tested for rabies. Public Health tests bats for rabies at no charge under certain circumstances.

• Live bats should be captured and might need to be tested for rabies if the bat had direct contact with a person’s bare skin or with a pet OR if a person wakes up to a bat in the room in which they were sleeping.
• Use a shovel or gloves to put a dead bat in a box for testing. Do not throw it away!
• Open windows and allow bats to leave your home if they have not come into contact with a person or pets. Close doors to other parts of your home and secure pets away from the location of the bat.

For more information about how to safely capture a bat in your home and how to safely avoid bats, visit: kingcounty.gov/bats.

Tom Brock is an editor, anchor and reporter for KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of his stories here.