A bat found on a Benton County property has tested positive for rabies, marking the first confirmed rabies case in a Benton County bat this year, according to a Tuesday announcement from the Benton County Health Department.
The bat was discovered June 15 by a resident who believed it may have had contact with their domestic animals. The resident brought the bat to the Oregon State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, which confirmed the positive rabies result on June 17.
“Rabies is present in the bat population and bats are the primary reservoir of rabies in wild animals for our area of the country,” Robert Baker of Benton County Environmental Health said through a news release. “Direct hand contact with bats should always be avoided if possible.”…