ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo. — A bat found in Lake Saint Louis this week tested positive for the rabies virus, the St. Charles County Department of Public Health said.
The bat was discovered in a home and the homeowner was not bitten. St. Charles County Public Health nurses continue to assess the situation for any potential exposure and if there is a need for treatment, the department's acting director Sara Evers said.
“Rabies is a dangerous virus found in the saliva of mammals that infects the nervous system,” Evers said. “The discovery of this infected animal serves as a reminder that annual vaccination is the best way to prevent rabies infection in pets and their owners and is required for all pets by St. Charles County Animal Control Ordinance Section 205.110."
Rabies is most commonly spread by bats and skunks in Missouri, and humans and pets can be exposed through bites or scratches by infected animals.
"Rabies illness requires mandatory preventative actions and extensive treatment, so it is important that people and their pets avoid contact with live or dead wild or stray animals," Ever said.
According to a press release, this is the seventh positive rabies case in Missouri this year. A bat was found in a St. Louis County home and tested positive in April.
The department asks if you have been bitten or scratched by an animal to clean the wound immediately with soap and water, seek any necessary medical care and alert the Division of Humane Services or local law enforcement.
Residents concerned about the presence of stray or potentially rabid animals on their property should call St. Charles County Animal Control at 636-949-7347 for domesticated animals or the Missouri Department of Conservation’s St. Charles County regional office at 636-441-4554 for wild animals.
