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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Readers Choice 2006 Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Our Valley Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend October 5, 2006 Bat found to have rabies; health officials cautious By Bill kettler Mail Tribune A dead bat found on the porch of a house in Jacksonville has tested positive for rabies, Jackson County public health officials said Wednesday. It was the first confirmed case of "bat-variant" rabies (the strain of the virus found in bats) in Jackson County since June 2005, said Gary Stevens, Jackson County's director of environmental health. Stevens said Jackson County typically identifies one or two cases of rabies in bats every year. He said people often call the health department or animal control when they find dead bats or encounter bats acting strangely, and the bats are brought in for testing if there is a possibility that they might have bitten a human or a domestic animal. Rabies is a fatal disease if it's not treated in time, so it's best to err on the side of caution, Stevens said. He noted that 19 other dead bats picked up in Jackson County have been tested for rabies so far this year, but none had the virus. Advertisement Stevens said investigators determined that the infected Jacksonville bat was probably brought to the house by the family cat. The cat's owners did not have any record of rabies vaccinations for the animal, and Oregon law requires unvaccinated animals that may have had contact with rabid animals to be euthanized or quarantined for six months. The family chose to euthanize the cat, Stevens said. "We keep telling people they need to get their cats vaccinated," he said. Public health officials treat rabies with such caution because of the way the virus spreads. Infected animals carry the virus in their saliva, and pass it along when they bite another animal. The virus spreads slowly in muscle tissue and peripheral nerve cells until it reaches the central nervous system. There may be no symptoms of infection for up to six months, and in some cases the virus has incubated for a year, Stevens said. Bats have extremely small teeth, and some people have been infected by rabid bats without ever knowing they were bitten. The virus can also infect dogs, cats, foxes, skunks, raccoons and other mammals that can pass it on to humans. Stevens said bat-variant rabies is the only kind that has been found locally, but skunk-variant rabies occurs (along with the bat-variant strain) in Northern California. In the industrial nations, vaccines for dogs, cats, and other domestic animals have made rabies a disease that strikes mostly wild creatures. Worldwide, however, bites from rabid dogs kill an estimated 35,000 to 50,000 people every year, according to data from the federal Centers for Disease Control. Bats have become the chief source of rabies in humans in the United States over the past 100 years, but human rabies is exceedingly rare. In the U.S., more people die from dog bites than from rabies transmitted by bats, according to data compiled by the CDC data. Fifteen to 20 Americans die every year from dog bites; only one or two die from rabies. Oregon bats suspected of infection are tested in the diagnostic laboratory at the Oregon State University School of Veterinary Medicine. About 100 dead bats from all over Oregon have been tested for the virus so far this year, and 20 were positive for rabies, said Dr. Emelio DeBess, a veterinarian for the state Department of Human Services. Five of the infected bats came from Deschutes County; while Douglas, Josephine, Klamath and Clackamas counties each had two infected bats, DeBess said. He said infected bats are brought in mostly from the more densely populated counties, but that's only because there are more people, which increases the chances that someone will happen upon an infected bat. DeBess said it's impossible to say how widespread the rabies virus is among bats. Randomly sampled bats have a rabies prevalence of less than 1 percent, according to research complied by the University of Georgia. "That's the best guesstimate," DeBess said. "Some colonies are infected. Some are not." People need not fear bats, he said. "Bats are a part of nature. We have to learn to live with them." Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492 or e-mail [email protected] . If you see a bat acting strangely — flying erratically during the day or flopping around on the ground — DON'T pick it up, says Gary Stevens, Jackson County's director of environmental health. First, put pets indoors to keep them away from the bat. If it's not moving, you can scoop it up with a shovel and put it in a container that can be secured with a lid, such as a coffee can. If it seems to be moving, the can may be placed bottom-up over the bat, and the plastic lid slipped in place from beneath to make a secure closure. If you have reason to believe a pet or a human has been bitten by the bat, call Jackson County's environmental health office, 774-8206. Pets should be vaccinated to protect them from exposure to rabies. Vaccinations can be obtained from veterinarians. Rabies vaccination clinics also have been scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon this Saturday at Grange Pet Country, 2833 N. Pacific Highway, and from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 21 at the Jackson County Animal Shelter, 5595 S. Pacific Highway. The vaccinations are $9 per animal at the two clinics. Veterinarians determine their own charges. Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Windermere Van Vleet Men's Clothing UK Homeowner Loans GMAT Prep Fundraisers Send Flowers Texas Electric Choice Entertainment Guide Casinos Canada Trunks, Footlocker Online Casino Reviews Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com