Unvaccinated dog exposed to rabid bat in Stanislaus County. How can you protect pets?
Dog and cat owners are being warned about the importance of vaccinating their pets after a dog was exposed to a rabid bat on Stanislaus County’s west side last week.
A young, medium-sized, mixed-breed dog, a new unvaccinated pet, was found with a bat in its mouth in Newman on March 24. The bat tested positive for rabies and the dog will be euthanized on Wednesday, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance.
This is the first known rabid bat exposure to an unvaccinated dog in recent memory, in large part because of routine rabies immunizations.
“This serves as a good reminder to everyone to keep their dogs, and cats, up to date on their vaccinations,” said Dr. Julie Vaishampayan, county public health officer.
If the dog had been up-to-date on vaccines, it would need a rabies booster shot and observation for 45 days. If it developed signs of rabies, it would then be euthanized. However, developing rabies in a fully vaccinated animal is rare, as efficacy of the vaccine exceeds 96%.
In 2020, Stanislaus County had two animal cases of rabies, one in a bat and one in a skunk. California had a total of 204 animal rabies cases. There have been seven cases in the state so far in 2021.
Vaishampayan said there are no known human exposures from this bat.
What a rabies infection does
Rabies is a viral infection, with nearly 100% mortality.
Human cases of rabies are rare in the United States with one to three cases reported annually to the CDC. However, about 55,000 people have to receive preventive rabies vaccines after exposure to a possibly infected animal.
More than 90% of these exposures are bites or scratches from wild animals, usually bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes, though any mammal can get rabies. Bats are one of the most common exposures in California.
In the U.S. because of routine rabies vaccinations, dogs account for less than 1% of rabid animals. However, dog rabies is common in other countries and can pose a risk for travelers. Exposure to rabid dogs outside the U.S. is the second leading cause of rabies deaths in Americans. Thus, pre-travel rabies vaccination is recommended for some countries, depending upon the destination and planned activities during travel.
Managing exposures
The CDC website states, “Leave wildlife alone,” as the primary prevention step for humans.
Recommendations if you find a bat in your home or on your property:
- NEVER touch a bat with bare hands.
- If a bat is inside your house, do not release it. Instead close off the room and have your family and pets exit the area and call Stanislaus County Animal Services Agency at 209-558-7387, available 24 hours.
- If you find a an ill-appearing or dead bat on your property, place a box or plastic container over it and call animal services.
- Wash animal bites or scratches immediately with soap and water.
- If you are bitten, scratched or unsure about contact, promptly contact your health care provider to see if you’re a candidate for post-exposure prevention, including rabies vaccination.
- Immunize your pets, including inside cats and dogs.
“A new pet, this is always sad,” Vaishampayan said. ”Vaccinate your pets and keep them up-to-date.”
This story was produced with financial support from The Stanislaus County Office of Education and the Stanislaus Community Foundation, along with the GroundTruth Project’s Report for America initiative. The Modesto Bee maintains full editorial control of this work. To help fund The Bee’s children’s health and economic development reporters with Report for America, go to bitly.com/ModbeeRFA
This story was originally published March 31, 2021 at 12:16 PM.
