Don't get bit: Bat in Louisville ZIP code has rabies. What pet owners, others should know

COVID-19 rates have surged in Louisville in recent weeks, and a number of confirmed Monkeypox cases have drawn headlines as well. And on Tuesday, city officials sounded the alarm about another potential threat to public health.

A bat infected with rabies was found a few weeks ago in a home located in the 40299 ZIP code, according to the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness. According to the agency, this marks the third time since last July that a bat with the disease has been found in the area.

Rabies is a viral disease that can spread to humans and animals when they are bitten by an animal carrying it, the Centers for Disease Control said. The disease can be fatal, according to the CDC, with symptoms that include flu-like conditions that can progress to cerebral dysfunction and other abnormal behavior.

“Someone may not realize they have been bitten by a bat because they have very sharp, tiny teeth," health department senior deputy director Connie Mendel said in a release. "Transmission of rabies can occur through a bat’s bite or the animal’s saliva if it gets in a person’s eyes, nose, mouth or an open wound."

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The people that encountered the bats were treated, and in at least one of the encounters, one person was bitten by a bat carrying rabies, said Kristen Shanahan, a health department spokesperson. She did not know the current status of treatment of the person who had been bit.

Kathy Turner, a communications director for the department, said those in the community should to exercise caution.

The 40299 ZIP code includes Jefferson County's bustling Jeffersontown home rule-class city along with several other suburbs in the county's southeastern portion.

Rabies vaccines are available, according to the CDC, as well as doses of rabies immune globulin. And cases in humans are rare, with the CDC noting just 25 cases were confirmed in humans between 2009 and 2018.

Still, Turner said once symptoms start, it is too late. She said symptoms can be seen two to eight weeks after being bitten by a bat. So in the meantime, environmental health manager Ciara Warren said it's a "safe assumption" to act as if all bats carry rabies.

If you encounter a bat, Louisville health officials recommend trying to isolate it if it's in your home and contacting the health department at 502-574-6650 to arrange for it to be collected and tested for rabies.

If you think you've been bitten, meanwhile, the department recommends washing the wound thoroughly with soap and water and to seek medical attention immediately. If the bat tests negative for rabies, post-exposure treatment should not be needed.

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Pets can also be vaccinated for rabies, according to the Louisville Department of Health. People can contact Louisville Metro Animal Services for information about low-cost vaccinations.

If a pet is bitten with rabies, or for more information about the disease, contact the local health department at 502-574-6650 or via email at publicfacilities@louisvilleky.gov. Animals that have been bitten should be quarantined to make sure the rabies is not spread, according to the release, and the health department should be notified if the pet who may have been bitten bites or scratches someone.

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Correction: This story was updated to reflect one person was bit in an encounter with a bat.

Reach Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez at abrinez@gannett.com; follow her on Twitter at @SoyAnaAlvarez

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Rabies detected in some Louisville bats. What pet owners should know