A rabid bat found on Mackinac Island last week and another discovered in Cedarville in late July do not indicate a rise in the disease among area bats, but district health officials are cautioning people to be careful around the animals and to get tested for rabies if bitten or if a bat is found in a bedroom while a person has been sleeping.

In both of the recent rabies cases, the people exposed to the rabid bats have received treatment, reports the Luce, Mackinac, Alger, Schoolcraft (LMAS) District Health Department. Dr. Jim Terrian told The St. Ignace News Tuesday, August 24, that the most recent bat was found in a sleeping area of a summer home on Mackinac Island. The animal was dead when brought to the health department Thursday, August 19, and was sent to the Michigan Department of Community Health for testing. It was reported to have the rabies virus Monday morning, August 23.

The bat in Cedarville was found to be rabid July 23.

Rabies is a communicable disease, and can be passed to humans if bitten by certain types of animals who are infected with it. While it can be fatal in humans, treatment, especially when initiated in the early stages, has been highly successful.

The health department urges anyone who is bitten by an animal to contact a physician for wound care. The physician and LMAS will determine the proper action for quarantining and observing the biting animal for 10 days when possible, having the animal tested, or beginning rabies treatment if the animal is not available.

If a bat is found in someone's room upon awakening, the health department suggests beginning post-exposure rabies treatment, even if the individual does not recall being bitten. Bats have small teeth, making it difficult to detect a bite, he said.

“People can have a bat bite and not even know it,” Dr. Therrian said. “That's a major concern.”

Bats must be tested to determine if they have rabies and cannot be diagnosed by appearance alone. Most bats do not have rabies, and an infected individual will not likely infect a colony, according to the bat Organization for Bat Conservation. Among bats tested for rabies in one study, 6% were found to have the disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A bat that is active in the day, found where bats normally are not seen, or that is unable to fly and easily approached could be infected.

Rabies is a viral disease spread through the bite of a rabid animal. The disease affects the central nervous system, according to CDC, eventually causing disease in the brain and death. Early symptoms of infection include fever, headache, and general weakness and discomfort. Other symptoms as the disease progresses include insomnia, anxiety, confusion, slight or partial paralysis, excitation, hallucinations, agitation, an increase in saliva, difficulty swallowing, and fear of water. Death usually follows the advanced symptoms.

For more information regarding rabies contact the LMAS health department and ask for the sanitarian or public health nurse. The Mackinac County branch can be reached at 643-1100, (906) 293- 5107 for Luce County, and (906) 341-6951 for the rest of the service area. Additional information can be found on the CDC Web site http://www.cdc.gov/rabies.