Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
ST. GEORGE — A person living in Washington County was recently treated after being exposed to a bat infected with rabies, Southwest Utah Public Health Department officials said Monday.
Details of the person's encounter with the rabid bat weren't immediately released, nor were the person's age and gender.
However, the department said the person was being treated with a preventive vaccination.
“Rabies vaccine is very effective when given soon enough” Dr. David Blodgett, health officer for the department, said in a prepared statement. “Every year, dozens of people in our district are vaccinated after actual or suspected exposure to rabid animals. Once a person shows symptoms, the disease is nearly always fatal.”
The department said human rabies cases are rare in the U.S. It added many of rabies cases in southwestern Utah are because of bats. The department also advised people to avoid any wild animal that appears sick when it gets close to you.
"Seek immediate medical care if you’ve been bitten by any animal. If the animal can be contained or captured without further injury to yourself or others, do so. It can then be tested for rabies to determine if you should receive rabies shots," the department wrote in a statement.
