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Kent County bat tests positive for rabies

Posted at 1:12 PM, Jul 12, 2018
and last updated 2018-07-13 09:47:07-04

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - A Kent County bat has tested positive for rabies.

The Kent County Health Department (KCHD) says the bat was captured in a home by a resident.  The county sent the bat to the state for testing and they confirmed the presence of rabies.

The KCHD says that this is the first positive test for rabies in bats in the county this year.  25 bats have been tested before this positive test and they were all negative.  Two bats were found to have rabies in Kent County in 2017.

Statewide, there has been an increase in positive tests in bats according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS).

Officials say that if you have direct contact with a bat, there is a potential for rabies exposure. Anyone who thinks they may have been bitten or scratched by a bat should try to capture it for testing.

For more information on what to do if you capture a bat or have been bitten by one,  call the Kent County Health Department at 616-632-7200.