• Rabies is on the rise in Michigan.
  
  
• Rabies is a viral disease that attacks the nervous system and is virtually always fatal. It is most commonly found in bats, skunks, foxes and raccoons. Unvaccinated pets or livestock can also be infected.
  
  
• Rabies is spread when an animal or human is bitten or scratched by an infected animal, or if an infected animal's saliva comes in contact with broken skin or mucous membranes.
  
  
• Since 1980, the majority of cases of human rabies diagnosed in the United States have been associated with bat rabies virus. The most frequently found rabid animal in Michigan is the bat. People normally know when they have been bitten by a bat. However, bats have small teeth that may not leave easily identifiable marks.
  

Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued recommendations for post-exposure treatment in which there is reasonable probability that contact with a bat could have occurred and rabies cannot be ruled out through prompt testing of the bat. If you find a bat in the room of:

• a sleeping person
• an unattended child
• someone mentally or physically challenged
• an intoxicated individual
  
  

You should save the bat for testing and seek medical attention immediately.

Actions to take when an exposure has occurred:

• Immediately wash the wound with lots of soap and water.
• Do not delay seeking medical advice. Go to your family doctor or the nearest emergency room. Also, call your local health department right away. Some people are afraid to seek treatment because they have heard it involves a series of painful shots to the abdomen. This is no longer true.
• Call your local animal control officer to capture the animal or for advice on how to capture the animal.

If professional help is unavailable, use precautions to capture the bat safely - wear leather gloves and when the bat lands, approach it slowly. Place a box or coffee can over the bat. Punch holes in a piece of cardboard to allow the bat to breathe, and slide it under the container to trap the bat inside. Tape the cardboard to the container to secure it. Contact your local health department or animal control authority to arrange for rabies testing. The phone number for the Ingham County Health Department is 887-4308.

For additional information, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Bats and Rabies page.