ENVIRONMENT

Come in contact with a bat? Expert outlines what to do

Oct 7, 2024, 6:00 AM

It's important to know what to do when you come in contact with bats, officials say, as they could ...

It's important to know what to do when you come in contact with bats, officials say, as they could carry rabies. (Getty images)

(Getty images)

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah has seen a few reports of bats with rabies this year, the most recent being last week at Pioneer Park.

Health officials say in the last 80 years, Utah has only had two cases of humans contracting the rabies virus. The last human to have contracted rabies was in 2018, before that, 1944. 

However, the Salt Lake County Health Department says it’s still important to be careful when coming across bats. They are the most common animal to carry the virus, communications director Nicholas Rupp says, and the virus is 100% fatal.

“Even if you don’t see broken skin or think that you’re injured, bat teeth and claws are so tiny and sharp that you can have a small wound that you don’t even see or feel,” Rupp said. 

But, Rupp says if you do come in contact with at bat, it’s important to leave them be. 

“Bats in particular, they are really good for our environment, they are essential to our ecosystem. So we don’t want to eradicate them or harm them or do anything like that. But we need to just leave them alone,” he said. 

Rupp says if you come across a bat, don’t touch them and contact you local animal services. He says bat are protected by Utah law and should be removed by someone with the right licensing and training.

Read more: Fungus that causes deadly white-nose syndrome in bats found in Utah

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Come in contact with a bat? Expert outlines what to do