A rabid bat was found in a Lexington neighborhood. Here’s what you need to know.
A bat found in the area of Winding Drive and Willowood Road has tested positive for rabies.
The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department said it was notified Friday afternoon that the bat was rabid, and it posted signs in the area to notify residents.
Winding Drive and Willowood Road are near Armstrong Mill and Greentree Road in the 40517 zip code.
The health department said “there does not appear to be any contact between neighborhood animals and the bat, but officials ask residents to keep watch on their pets.”
Early symptoms of rabies include fever, loss of appetite, chewing at the bite site and changes in behavior.
All cats, dogs and ferrets should be kept up to date on their rabies vaccines as is required by state law. The viral disease is spread to humans through the saliva of a rabid animal, usually via a bite, according to the health department.
The health department said bats that can’t fly or are active in the daytime might have rabies, and it’s “best never to handle any bat.”
If you find a bat in your home and can’t rule out the possibility of human exposure, call the health department’s Division of Environmental Health and Protection at 859-231-9791 to have it removed and tested for rabies.
The health department said bats often enter homes though the chimney, vents and openings behind shutters, and under doors, siding, eaves and shingles. Block holes larger than a quarter of an inch by a half an inch with steel wool or caulk in the fall to avoid accidentally trapping bats inside the house.
This story was originally published July 26, 2019 at 6:50 PM.
