The Arizona Department of Health Services today urged residents - especially trick or treaters - to leave bats alone after a group of Globe teenagers last week handled a rabid bat.
One adult and one teen are undergoing a series of rabies shots after handling the grounded bat. The animal tested positive for rabies at the Arizona State Health Laboratory.
Rabies is almost always fatal to humans once symptoms appear, and health officials are urging residents to handle only the kind of Halloween bats made out of rubber.
“A real bat is not a Halloween treat,” said Craig Levy, head of the Arizona Department of Health Services’ Vector Borne and Zoonotic Disease Section. “Anyone who comes across a bat should leave it alone. If you find a grounded bat contact your local animal control office.”
Many bats are migratory, and it is not unusual for Arizonans to run across more of them in the fall. Levy said bats are not aggressive, and they do not attack people or pets.
“When sick or injured, they can become grounded and are easily accessible to people and pets,” Levy said. “Almost all exposures to bats occur when people, mostly children, play with bats.”
To date, 127 rabid animals have been reported this year in the state: 87 bats, 19 foxes, 15 skunks, three bobcats, one coyote, one mountain lion, and one pet cat.
Anyone who has had contact with a bat should seek medical attention, Levy said.
“It is imperative for pet owners to immunize their animals against rabies and to ensure that these vaccinations are kept up to date,” added State Public Health Veterinarian Dr. Elisabeth Lawaczeck.
This includes dogs and cats.
For more information about rabies, call your local health department or the ADHS Vector-Borne & Zoonotic Disease Section at (602) 364-4562, or visit the ADHS rabies
web page at: www.azdhs.gov/phs/oids/vector/rabies.
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