Bat found in Ann Arbor apartment tests positive for rabies

A bat found dead in the bedroom of an Ann Arbor apartment has tested positive for rabies, the Washtenaw County Public Health Department said today.

The health department also recommended that three people who may have come in contact with the bat receive rabies treatment, said Susan Cerniglia, a health educator and public information officer for the department.

It’s the second bat in the county to test positive for rabies in 2011. Two bats brought to the health department in 2010 tested positive for rabies, and none tested positive in 2009.

The incident serves as a good reminder that it’s bat season, Cerniglia said.

“It’s a good reminder that bats can harbor rabies and we need to be cautious,” Cerniglia said. “If there’s contact, or any concern a person may have been bitten, we need to make sure the case is reviewed and that vaccination is recommended if indicated.”

When a bat is found in sleeping quarters and it isn’t clear whether people have had contact with it, the department will recommend treatment for rabies, she said.

The regimen includes doses of immune globulin and four doses of rabies vaccine over two weeks. Treatment also might be needed if the animal can’t be found but exposure is a possibility.

The bat was brought to health department for testing last week, Cerniglia said.

In April, an Ann Arbor man brought a bat in for testing to the department after he sat on it by mistake and the animal bit him.

The bat was euthanized and sent to the Michigan Department of Community Health for testing. Tests showed rabies was present.

To make a report or ask questions about a bat encounter, call the health department at 734-544-6700. Evenings, weekends and holidays, a communicable disease on-call nurse is available at 734-891-4327.

Juliana Keeping covers general assignment and health and the environment for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at julianakeeping@annarbor.com or 734-623-2528. Follow Juliana Keeping on Twitter