Photo: Guillermo Ossa / Shutterstock
A Teton County bat has tested positive for rabies, marking the first occurrence of the disease in the county since 2020.
Dr. Myrna Miller, of the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory, confirmed to Buckrail that a “little brown bat” from Teton County had tested positive for rabies in his lab last week.
The bat was found at a Teton County residence and taken to the Jackson Animal Care Clinic, where was euthanized and sent to the state laboratory for analysisreported local media.
Veterinarians were unable to determine the exact species of the bat, as variations in size and age can make it difficult to identify a precise species without a DNA test.
Miller noted that his team had studied another bat from Sheridan, Wyoming, that tested positive for rabies. The county’s first infected bat was reported in 2017 and two more were found in 2019.
The only rabies death in Wyoming claimed a Riverton woman died from a bat bite in 2015. Dr. Miller said that case was a warning because the woman noticed a bat in her home but released it. Weeks later, she died of rabies.
“These bats weigh less than an ounce,” Miller said. “Their bites are tiny. Even if you can’t find a scratch or bite, it’s worth sending the bat in for a try. It’s free.”
Warnings about rabies
The Wyoming Department of Health issued a rabies advisory in April, reminding residents to follow these guidelines:
- Do not touch or feed wild or stray animals.
- Treat animal bites with soap and water and contact a medical professional immediately.
- People who wake up to find a bat in their bedroom or a child’s bedroom should contact a medical professional immediately.
- Vaccinate dogs, cats, ferrets, horses, and other selected animals against rabies and keep vaccinations up to date.
Rabies is not the only threat facing local bat populations. The northern long-eared bat is at risk of extinction due to white-nose syndrome, decimating entire colonies of the species through rapidly spreading fungi.
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