Cayuga County Health and Human Services
160 Genesee Street
Auburn, NY 13021
For Immediate Release: Friday August 15, 2014
Contact:
Eileen O’Connor, P.E.
Director of Environmental Health
Phone: (315) 253-1405
Fax: (315)-253-1478
The Cayuga County Health Department has reported that a bat found in the City of
Auburn last week tested positive for rabies. It is relatively rare for bats to have rabies.
The New York State Department of Health states that only about 4% of bats submitted to
the laboratory for rabies testing are found to be rabid; however, since an exposure to a
rabid bat may be deadly, it is important to know what to do if a bat is found in your
home.
If a bat is found in a house and there is any chance that contact between the bat and a
person or a pet occurred, the bat needs to be captured and submitted for rabies testing.
The bat should be captured and submitted for rabies testing under the following
circumstances:
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A person had direct physical contact with a bat.
A bat is found in a room with people who are sleeping.
A bat is found in a room with an unattended child or impaired adult
A bat is in contact with a domestic pet (dog or cat)
If none of the circumstances above have occurred, the bat can be released outside.
To capture a bat in the house, you should turn on the room lights and close windows and
doors. Once the bat has landed, using a glove (leather, if available) place a container, like
a coffee can, over the bat and slide a piece of cardboard under the container to trap the
bat. Firmly hold the cardboard in place, turn the container upright and tape shut on all
sides.
The bat should not be hit or crushed as this can make the bat untestable for rabies. After
capturing the bat, store in a cool place, frozen if possible and call the Cayuga County
Health Department at 315-253-1405 during normal business hours to arrange for the bat
to be picked up. The Health Department will send the bat to the laboratory for rabies
testing.
A video showing how to capture a bat can be found on our website:
www.cayugacounty.us/environmental, click on rabies and animal bites.
It is important to bat-proof your home to keep bats out of your house and away from you
and your family. Do this by being sure to look for holes in common entry places like the
garage, attic, and basement. Then, plug up any holes in the house with steel wool, repair
window screen holes with wire mesh, and caulk any other openings or cracks. More
information regarding bat-proofing your home can be found on our website:
www.cayugacounty.us/environmental, click on rabies and animal bites.
It is important to remember that rabies is a fatal disease that cannot be cured once a
person begins to have symptoms. People can get rabies if they are exposed to the saliva
or nervous tissue of any rabid animal through a bite. Stay away from wild animals as
well as stray dogs and cats. If you encounter a wild animal that is obviously injured or
orphaned, you may call a Wildlife Rehabilitator for advice or help. Do not attempt to pick
up wild animals or stray cats and dogs.
For more information call the Environmental Health Division at 315-253-1405.