MARION COUNTY, Ore. — Marion County Health and Human Services is urging residents to avoid contact with bats and make sure their pets are vaccinated after a bat found in the Marion area of Marion County tested positive for rabies.
Rabies is a serious viral disease that can be transmitted to people and animals through the bite or scratch of an infected animal. Health officials emphasize that while post-exposure treatment is highly effective when administered promptly, preventing exposure remains the best defense.
Residents are encouraged to take several precautions to reduce the risk of rabies exposure, including avoiding contact with bats whether they appear healthy, sick, alive, or dead. Officials also advise keeping children and pets away from bats, avoiding handling or feeding stray animals and wildlife, and ensuring dogs and cats are current on their rabies vaccinations.
Under Oregon law, dogs and cats must receive a rabies vaccination followed by a booster one year later and additional booster shots every three years. Health officials noted that unvaccinated pets exposed to rabies may be required to be euthanized or placed in strict quarantine for four months.
Although bats are an important part of Oregon’s ecosystem and most do not carry rabies, they are the wildlife species most commonly reported with rabies in the United States. Officials recommend avoiding all direct contact with bats as a precaution.
Residents who encounter a bat that is active during daylight hours, found inside a building, or on the ground and unable to fly should keep children and pets away from the animal and contact the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife or a licensed wildlife control operator.
Anyone who has had direct contact with a bat or has been bitten by any animal should immediately wash the affected area thoroughly with soap and water, seek medical attention, and report the incident to Marion County Environmental Health. Pet owners whose animals have encountered a bat or been bitten by a wild animal should contact their veterinarian as soon as possible.
Additional information about rabies prevention and treatment is available through the Oregon Health Authority and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
About the Author
Discover more from Right Now Oregon
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
