OGDEN-Health managers of the counties of Weber and Morgan ask residents to ensure that the vaccinations of their pets are up to date and to avoid touching bats or other wild animals after a bat in the county of Morgan tested positive for rabies.
“Bats play an important role in our ecosystem and the majority of bats in our population are in good health and tend to maintain themselves for themselves,” said Amy Carter, a nurse of a disease transferable at the Weber-Morgan health service. “However, if you see one in daylight, or if it is in a place where you or your animal can recover it, there is a good chance that it is sick.”
This week’s positive test is the first report of the state of the hive on a positive bat in 2025. Carter added that time was heating up, the chances of meeting an enraged animal increases.
Rage is a virus that has an impact on the brain and nervous system of infected animals and can be fatal if it is not treated correctly and quickly-which includes pre-exhibition vaccination for pets and post-exposure vaccinations for individuals.
According to the World Health Organization, rage spreads to people and animals via saliva, generally by bites, scratches or direct contact with the mucous membrane (eyes, mouth or open injuries). The excrement, blood and urine do not transmit rabies.
Once clinical symptoms are, rabies are practically 100% fatal.
In Utah, bats are the most common carriers of the rabies virus. Mussels, raccoils, foxes and cats and unvaccinated dogs can also carry the disease, but UTAH law requires cats and dogs to be vaccinated for rabies.
The Weber-Morgan health service provided the following advice regarding the prevention of rabies:
- Keep your pet vaccinations up to date. Check the animal vaccination status with your veterinarian and place your files where you can access it quickly.
- Log from wild animals. Call your local animal control to get help if it seems sick, injured or acts strangely.
- Act quickly if you are bitten or striped by a bat or another wild animal. Immediately wash the wound with soap and water and consult your health care provider. If possible, securely contain the bat and contact the UTAH wildlife services division so that it can be tested for rabies.
- Report all interactions with a bat found in a sleep area. Any exposure to a bat in a sleep zone is considered an exposure because of their ability to spread the virus through extremely small bites or scratches.
“Vaccination is important because this is how we prevent rabies in our cats and dogs. It saves time and grief if your pet is involved in a biting incident or comes into contact with a rabid bat or another animal,” said Carter.
In October 2024, a bat in Pioneer Park Tested positive for rabiesAnd the health officials of the County of Salt Lake said that it had been treated “potentially for an extended period”, probably by several people.
More information on bats, animals and rabies can be found On the website of the Ministry of Health and Social Services of UTAH.
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