From Staff Reports
TRAVERSE CITY — A rise in concerns about rabies is fueling an expansion in treatment options.
Human Rabies Immune Globulin and post-exposure prophylaxis are now available at Foster Family Community Health Center — creating a second treatment location in addition to Munson Medical Center, according to a Munson Healthcare statement Thursday.
Increased “questions and concerns” following the Aug. 20 announcement of a confirmed rabies exposure by the Grand Traverse County Health Department prompted Munson officials to offer the treatment through the east side complex’s Urgent Care, the statement said.
A bat found in a Grand Traverse home last month tested positive for rabies — and all individuals identified as exposed received “the necessary post-exposure medical care” according to the health department.
Treatment typically consists of wound care, human rabies immune globulin (HRIG), and a four-dose vaccine series, according to the Centers for Disease Control — and time is of the essence.
Foster Family Medical Director Jacob Szafranski called it “critical, urgent preventative care;” officials urge those with exposures to seek medical care as soon as possible, preferably the same day. Once symptoms appear, rabies is fatal.
“Rabies is a serious disease, but prompt treatment after an exposure is highly effective at preventing illness,” Szafranski said. “By expanding access to post-exposure vaccination at our urgent care, we can help community members receive the timely care they need in a convenient setting.”
Public health departments across Michigan note an uptick in bat encounters and exposures this year, according to Grand Traverse County Health Department officials, who urged vigilance and prevention.
According to Michigan Health and Human Services tracking, 47 bats and one skunk have tested positive for rabies through Sept. 3.
In 2025, 42 bats and zero skunks tested positive. Other years show sharper spikes, including in 2018 when 77 animals tested positive, including seven bats in the region.
Experts advise avoiding contact with wild animals, especially bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes; keeping pets vaccinated against rabies; sealing all openings of a residence to prevent bats from entering; and never handling bats or other wild animals with bare hands.
Potential rabies exposure includes: having any direct contact with a bat, especially if a bite or scratch (which can be very small) cannot confidently be ruled out; being bitten, scratched, or licked on broken skin by a mammal that could have rabies; or exposure to saliva or nervous tissue from a potentially rabid animal.
Officials recommend identifying and containing the animal involved, but only if safe to do so.