Four people inside a Lewiston home were referred for post-exposure rabies treatment following an encounter with a bat earlier this month. It was one of two bats confirmed rabid this month, Niagara County health officials said Friday.
The first case involved a bat encounter on July 17 on Carmen Road in the Town of Hartland. A dog was involved in the incident; it is up to date with its rabies vaccination and will receive a booster shot as a precaution. There was no human exposure.
The second case involved a bat encounter on July 16 on Maple Street in the Town of Lewiston. Three dogs reside in the household and are up to date on their rabies vaccinations and will receive boosters as a precaution.
Four household members have been referred for post-exposure treatment.
Niagara County Department of Health officials said samples were submitted to the New York State Department of Health Wadsworth Center on Wednesday and positive results were confirmed Thursday.
Bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes are all common wildlife carriers of the rabies virus. A rabid animal can shed the virus through direct contact even before symptoms appear. Rabies can only be confirmed by submitting a laboratory sample.
Rabies in animals is a serious public health concern in Niagara County. Rabies is a viral disease that is almost always fatal to unvaccinated animals.
For more information on bat rabies, including instructions on proper capturing and containment of a bat for testing, go to: https://www.niagaracounty.gov/departments/a-f/environmental_health/pest_control/bats.php or watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YhnV5WJQBA
For further information on rabies or to report an animal bite or contact with wild animals, please call the Niagara County Department of Health Environmental Division at 716-439-7444 or visit www.niagaracounty.gov/health.