WEST CHESTER TOWNSHIP, Ohio — A bat collected in West Chester Twp. has tested positive for rabies, the second to test positive for the disease in Butler County in the last three weeks and the third in the Southwest Ohio region.
According to a release from the Butler County General Health District, the bat was tested “following a potential human exposure.” No other details were released about the exposure to protect the individual’s privacy, the release said.
The previous bat to test positive for rabies was in Hamilton on the property of Bradford Place Care Center.
In that case, Health Commissioner Cindy Hogg said the department was notified Friday, May 22, that the bat, collected on the grounds of the care center at 1302 Millville Ave., had tested positive. She confirmed that an exposure occurred but said HIPAA regulations prevent her from sharing details.
“Positive rabies tests in Ohio are not common but they do occur,” Hogg told Journal-News.
Hogg and the health department said rabies can be transmitted when the saliva of an infected animal enters the body through a bite, an open cut, or a mucous membrane such as those found in the eyes, nose, or mouth. A person is considered at risk when they have had direct contact with a bat, including being bitten, scratched, or having the bat’s saliva come into contact with broken skin or these vulnerable areas.
Bat bites can be tiny and go unnoticed, Hogg said. Dogs, cats and other mammals are considered exposed if they had direct contact with a bat.
A third positive test for rabies in a bat happened last week in Darke County. it was found outside of a Greenville residence and sent to the Ohio Department of Health Laboratory for testing.
Anyone with questions about rabies exposure, bat encounters or rabies prevention can contact the health district’s environmental health team by calling 513-863-1770.
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