An eastern King County resident and their unvaccinated puppy were exposed to rabies after potentially coming in contact with a bat in the bushes near their home. The bat was collected and sent to the Washington State Public Health Lab where it tested positive for rabies. In situations like these, Public Health will make recommendations for potentially exposed humans and animals.
A rabid bat was found by the sidewalk adjacent to the Duwamish Head Condominiums (1140 Alki Ave SW) on September 18 – 19, 2022, near Alki Beach Pier in West Seattle. If you or someone you know had any contact with a bat near this area, seek medical evaluation immediately or contact Public Health – Seattle & King County.
Each summer, we receive between 70 to 100 reports of people being exposed to rabid bats in King County. And, in the recent weeks we’ve received reports of two rabid bats that interacted with humans. If you had contact with a bat, or even woke up in a room with a bat inside, you should call your medical provider immediately, in addition to reporting the exposure to Public Health at: 206-296-4774.
70% of Americans who die from rabies in the US were infected by bats – CDC Vital Signs As the weather warms up in King County, adult bats come out of hibernation, baby bats are learning to fly, and humans get outdoors, which means a big increase in human-bat interactions compared to other times of year. Bats can be infected […]
By Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer Costco, the Issaquah, WA based wholesale warehouse corporation, and one of the largest food retailers in the country, has taken a major step to reduce the risk to human health posed by antibiotic use in agriculture. As reported by the Seattle Times, the new Costco Animal Welfare Policy on […]