A rabid bat was found in the popular and busy Belmar neighborhood in Lakewood, Colorado as reported by the Jackson County Health Department on June 17, 2019. The rabid bat was found near the 700 block of South Reed Street.

Rabies is a disease that attacks the central nervous system and is considered 100% fatal without prompt treatment. People are typically exposed to the rabies virus through the bite of an infected animal as it lives in the saliva. When you are dealing with bat rabies, exposure is much more difficult to determine. The CDC recommends rabies shots for anyone in these circumstances:

• The bat is found in the room with anyone who was asleep.
• The bat is found in the room with a child.
• The bat is found in a room with a person that is intoxicated and has limited mental capacity.
• The bat has made contact with bare skin.

In addition to the CDC’s recommendations, the Jefferson County, Colorado Health Department also offers the following advice:

• Avoid contact with all wild or stray animals.
• Vaccinate all cats, dogs, ferrets, and valuable livestock.
• Do not allow your pets to roam free.
• Contact animal control if you find a dead bat or skunk, if you find a bat or skunk behaving strangely or if you or your pet are bitten by any animal.
• Wear gloves to clean up your pet after a wild animal encounter.
• If bitten or scratched by a pet or wild animal, wash wounds with soap and water and call your doctor.

If you find a bat that appears sick or injured, do not touch it. If you are in Jefferson County, you can call animal control at 303-271-5070 to have it safely removed.

If you are dealing with an infestation in your home, please call our customer service toll free at 877-264-2287.

Either way, contact with bats should be avoided for the safety of you, your family, and your pets.

Your local bat removal expert,

Michael Koski