Florida woman treated for rabies after finding rabid bat clinging to arm, health officials say

A woman is undergoing treatment for rabies after she found a small rabid bat clinging to her arm in Hillsborough County.

According to the Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough, the woman was helping her friend into a vehicle Monday in the Sun City Center area when she felt something hit her arm.

She didn’t see what it was, health officials said, and went home. When she got there, though, she discovered a small bat clinging to her arm.

The woman immediately squished it with a towel and contacted DOH-Hillsborough.

When officials tested the bat, they found it was positive for rabies.

While the health department often goes door-to-door notifying homes within a certain mile radius from where a rabies-positive animal is found, they do not when it comes to wild animals.

“When it’s a wild animal, we don’t go door-to-door unless we believe there is a high threat of other human exposures,” said DOH-Hillsborough spokesman Kevin Watler. “We believe this is an isolated incident. There are no other cases or clusters in the area where an animal tested positive for rabies.”

According to the health department, rabies exposure in this manner is unusual. Generally, it occurs when people interact with a stray or wild animal.

Rabies is a disease of the nervous system and is fatal to warm-blooded animals and humans, officials say. People are advised to avoid contact with any animal that lives in the wild. Some may be tempted to feed or help the animal, but it isn’t worth the risk. The only definitive way to determine if an animal has rabies is a lab examination.

Here are some tips that the health department recommends to avoid rabies exposure:

• Keep rabies vaccinations up to date for all pets.
  
  
• If your pet is bitten by a wild animal, seek veterinary assistance for the animal immediately.
  
  
• Do not handle, feed, or unintentionally attract wild animals with open garbage cans or litter.
  
  
• Never adopt wild animals or bring them into your home.
  
  
• Teach children never to handle unfamiliar animals, wild or domestic, even if they appear friendly.
  
  
• Prevent bats from entering living quarters or occupied spaces in homes,churches, schools, and other similar areas, where they might come in contact with people and pets.
  
  
• Persons who have been bitten or scratched by wild or domestic animals should seek medical attention to their local health department. In Manatee County, residents can call 941-748-0747.