Officials with Public Health – Seattle & King County are reporting a bat found near Husky Stadium at the University of Washington (UW) last Saturday was rabies positive and at least one person was bitten.
The bat was reportedly found near Union Bay behind Husky Stadium at around 2:00 p.m. The bat acted aggressively and bit at least one person, latching on to that person’s fingers.
The person sought assistance from others in removing the bat at Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity at the UW campus prior to seeking medical care. The health department received the positive rabies results from the Washington State Public Health Laboratory on May 21.
Health officials worry others may have exposed to the rabid bat and should seek medical care immediately, including anyone who helped to remove the bat.
“Rabies is treatable if caught before symptoms appear, so identifying anyone who has had contact as soon as possible is important,” said Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County. “Contact includes touching a bat, being bitten, scratched, or any other bare skin contact with a bat or its saliva.”
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