A dead bat found outside a home in southwestern Chatham County has tested positive for rabies, and health officials are urging residents to keep their pets vaccinated and stay away from animals they don’t know.
What happened: The bat was found September 17 near Quacco Road and Highway 17, possibly after coming into contact with a pet cat at the property. It tested positive for rabies on September 21. No person is known to have been exposed to the bat, and the cat at the home was current on its rabies vaccination.
What you should know: Rabies is a deadly virus spread mainly through the bite or scratch of an infected animal. Raccoons, foxes, and bats in the Chatham County area can carry it. Signs of rabies in an animal include unusual aggression, biting, foaming at the mouth, no fear of people, and paralysis.
What this means for you: Dogs and cats should receive a rabies vaccine after 12 weeks of age, a booster within one year, and then a shot every one to three years based on a vet’s recommendation. Wild animals should not be handled, fed, or brought into your home. Children should be taught never to approach unfamiliar animals.
If an animal bites you, get medical care right away. You can also call Chatham County Animal Services at 912-652-6575 or the Chatham County Environmental Health office at 912-356-2160.
B.T. Clark is the Publisher of The Georgia Sun and author of Principles Are Like Pants… You Ought to Have Some. Over two decades in journalism, he has served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc., earning multiple awards along the way. His work has appeared in newspapers across the state, including The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal.
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
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