Local Bats Test Positive for Rabies

According to local health officials, two bats in Lewis and Clark County have recently tested positive for rabies.

“Bats are a normal part of our ecosystem and play an important role in mosquito control during the summer season,” says Laura Hendley, Lewis and Clark Public Health Environmental Health Specialist.

“It is only if a person has direct contact with a bat that it is important to evaluate the situation for potential rabies exposure, and often to test the bat to be sure that it does not have rabies,” adds Hendley.

Direct contact would include handling a bat, being bitten or scratched by...