Rabies exposure confirmed in Merced County. A warning issued after suspected bat bite

A rabies exposure has been confirmed in Merced County following a suspected bat bite.

The county’s department of public health released a joint statement saying the exposure involved a Fresno County resident who they believed was bitten in Merced County.

It’s unclear whether the person tested positive for rabies, but the Fresno County’s public health department said Monday that it’s “working closely with the hospital and healthcare workers caring for the individual.”

Meanwhile, Merced’s Public Health Department was working to notify others who may have been exposed and “preparing medical providers in the community on response measures.”

Rabies is a relatively rare but extremely serious virus that attacks the central nervous system, causing progressive, fatal inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. It is transmitted from the saliva of infected animals such as raccoons, skunks, foxes and bats.

The virus is treatable, but only before symptoms appear.

After that it is almost always fatal, though fewer than 10 rabies deaths are reported in the US. each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Typically, the virus is transmitted via a bite. But bats don’t always bite and when they do, the wounds can be too small to see of feel. The virus can also transmit through scratches, or through licking or drooling on the skin, according to Dr. Gregory Poland, director of the Mayo Clinic Vaccine Research Group.

So, anyone who has had, or thinks they’ve had, any direct contact with a bat should:

• Wash any bite or scratch wounds with soap and water.
• Contact your healthcare provider for evaluation and treatment.
• Report the incident to the health department.

These steps should be taken weather the bat is alive or dead at the time of contact.