Officials caution against rabid bats

Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2000 | 10:45 a.m.

The Clark County Health District advises anyone bitten or scratched by a bat call an animal control agency, then a doctor. Since bat bites are small, any contact should be treated as possible exposure. Animal control numbers are:

Three people, two cats and a dog have been exposed to rabies from infected bats in Southern Nevada, a Clark County Health District official said.

Two of the humans exposed live in Clark County, the third in Nye County, Jennifer Sizemore, health district spokeswoman, said on Monday.

All of the people are undergoing treatment, Sizemore said. Another woman was bitten by a bat and began treatment, but the animal did not have rabies.

In the cases of cat exposures, the felines brought the bats home to their owners. One woman smashed the bat with a sledge hammer, making it impossible to test its brain tissue for rabies, Sizemore said.

While many people are afraid of bats, they do help control the insect population in Southern Nevada and should be left alone, she said.

It's rare for a bat to come in contact with a human unless the animal is infected with rabies, Sizemore said.

The Health District has issued guidelines to avoid exposure to rabid bats.

First, never approach a bat, Sizemore said. Bats seen during the day, on the ground, flying erratically or inside a home are probably sick. Animal control officials should be notified immediately if any person is bitten or scratched by a bat.

People should never attempt to capture, handle or kill a bat.

Most important, pet owners need to immunize their animals, Sizemore said. By law, all dogs, cats and ferrets must be immunized against rabies every two or three years, depending on the type of vaccine.

In the case of unimmunized cats, the animals have to be quarantined six months at an animal shelter or veterinary center after exposure, Sizemore said.

Rabies are transmitted when an infected animal's saliva enters the body of another animal or human through a bite or scratch.