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The Winona Health Urgent Care Clinic has treated several patients for bat bites in the past two weeks, including one patient who was bitten by a rabid bat. Officials are urging the public to be especially careful around bats.
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Veterinarian Lauren Utley, left, gives "Coco," a five-month-old Dachsund, a rabies vaccination Thursday at the Pet Medical Center in Winona while Veterinarian Technician Suzie Ehlo holds the puppy. The women euthanized a brown bat brought into the facility Tuesday after a four-year-old Winona boy was bitten. The bat is one of two from Winona that tested positive for rabies at the Minnesota Department of Health laboratory in St. Paul in the last month.
(Photo by Melissa Carlo/Winona Daily News)
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The most recent case occurred Tuesday after a bat was brought to the Pet Medical Center after biting a 4-year-old boy. The bat was found in the child’s bed, said Suzie Ehlo, a veterinary technician.
“It was just hissing,” she said. “That’s usually a sign.”
The bat was euthanized and sent to the University of Minnesota’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in St. Paul. A tissue sample was then sent to the Minnesota Department of Health, where it tested positive for rabies.
The first reported bat with rabies bit a man on the finger as he grabbed it from his washing machine.
“He thought it was a sock,” Ehlo said.
Only about 4 percent of the approximately 400 bats submitted annually to the Minnesota Department of Health test positive for rabies. But finding two infected bats in one month is unusual.
Rabies is a disease that affects the nervous system of mammals. It’s caused by a virus and typically spreads when an infected animal bites another animal or person. It can be fatal and can’t be treated once symptoms appear.
Each year, two or three people contract rabies in the U.S., down from more than 100 each year in the early 1900s, according to the state Health Department.
Oftentimes, people won’t know they’ve been bitten because a bat’s teeth are so small. Last October, a 46-year-old Monticello man died from rabies. He hadn’t realized he’d been bitten until symptoms had already set in.
“Anyone who has physical contact with a bat should seek medical attention,” said Winona Health Urgent Care Clinic Medical Director Dr. Terry Donnal.
If exposed, wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water immediately, Donnal said.
The only way to test for rabies is to get a tissue sample of the animal’s brain. The tissue needs to be tested within 48 hours or it’s no longer viable.
Rabies can be prevented through vaccination, which Ehlo recommends for all pets.
On Thursday, Dan Moore was having his 5-month-old long-haired red miniature dachshund, Coco, get vaccinated. Dr. Lauren Utley coaxed Coco with some turkey-flavored baby food.
“Puppies are easily distracted by treats,” Utley said. “When they get older, they know it’s coming.”
Dogs can get the vaccination for rabies after four months of age. They need to be given it again after a year and then every two years following. Cats need it every year.
The shots cost about $13 to $20.
People also can be vaccinated for rabies. It takes three shots, costing about $200 each.
Most people think of bats as carriers of rabies, but it’s more commonly transmitted by skunks and raccoons. But fewer people trap bats compared with skunks and raccoons, Ehlo said.
Once you’re exposed, a series of five vaccine shots are required, as well as an anti-serum.
“People need to be aware,” Ehlo said. “They don’t need to freak out, but it’s definitely something to be careful of.”
How to catch a Bat
Käri Knutson may be reached at kknutson@winonadailynews.com or (507) 453-3523.
