A Whidbey Island resident is getting vaccinated after a rabid bat bit them there last week, marking the fourth time a bat has tested positive for rabies in Washington state so far this year.
The resident is receiving post-exposure shots and is "doing well," the Island County Public Health department said in a statement Thursday. Island County officials warned people to not touch wild animals, especially bats, which are the only animals known to carry rabies in the state.
County health officials tested the culprit, a big brown bat — or Eptesicus fuscus — for the viral disease after another island resident found the animal outside a North Whidbey home on Aug. 1, the statement said.
Three other bats have tested positive for rabies this year, including two in Benton and Wahkiakum counties in May and one in Thurston County in July. There were 16 cases statewide last year and eight in 2022, according to the Washington State Department of Health.
Less than 1% of wild bats are infected with rabies, but up to 10% of those tested are found to carry the disease — likely because sick bats and those that have bitten or scratched a person or another animal are more likely to be tested, according to the state health department.
The viral disease can spread into the nervous system and is almost always fatal if not treated with a series of shots over a two-week period. State health officials recommend washing animal bites or scratches with soap and water and seeking medical help, and getting pets vaccinated against the disease.
Symptoms of a rabies infection like headaches or a fever can take months to appear, but most patients die within a few days of experiencing more serious symptoms like confusion, paralysis and difficulty swallowing, according to the state health department.
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