Urgent Rabies Alert for Kent County After Bat Tests Positive

For many of us in West Michigan, we often think of bats as being scary, but they actually are very helpful.

When it comes to dealing with pesky mosquitoes, they help slow down the spread of diseases such as West Nile virus.

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Bats, like other animals, can carry diseases, and one of them in Kent County recently tested positive for rabies.

Now, Kent County Health Department officials are alerting the public to this potentially dangerous and deadly situation.

Why Are Bats With Rabies Dangerous

The reason bats that are carrying rabies are so dangerous is because the virus they carry is almost always fatal once symptoms appear.

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The rabies virus attacks the central nervous system, which can lead to severe neurological symptoms and, eventually, death.

How Do Animals Spread Rabies

Rabies is primarily transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal, typically through a bite or scratch.

Bats can be risker than others when it comes to transmitting rabies because of their tiny teeth which can leave their victim with an unnoticeable bite.

If an adult or a child is bitten by a bat with rabies, there is a chance they might not even notice.

Bites are not the only way that rabies can be contracted.

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It's also possible to get the virus from a bat's saliva, especially if the bat licked your skin or its drool was able to get into an open wound or mucous membranes such as your eyes, nose, or mouth.

Health officials advise people to get medical attention immediately if you wake up and find a bat in your room, or if a bat is found near a child or someone who cannot communicate a potential exposure.