Bat Found in South Brunswick Tests Positive for Rabies

A bat picked up earlier this week by animal control on Coriander Drive off Promenade Boulevard tested positive for rabies, according to the South Brunswick Health Department.

The department is now assessing if there has been any exposure related issues in the area, after the bat was found on July 10. Residents are urged to make sure their pets have been licensed and vaccinated for rabies. 

The health department added that residents should not touch bats or other wildlife, especially if they appear ill. Anyone who feels that they may have been exposed to the bats should contact the health department and their physician immediately. 

For more information go to the South Brunswick Health Department webpage at http://goo.gl/xWbYK, and click on the link for common health problems.

See below for more information on rabies from the health department:

How can rabies be prevented? 

• Vaccinate all dogs and cats. It is recommended that horses, cattle and sheep also be protected against rabies by vaccination. 

• Control unwanted animals. Abandoned and unwanted dogs and cats should not be left to roam, as they can contract rabies from rabid wildlife and then transmit the infection to community residents and their pets. 

• Avoid contact with wild animals and do not feed them or keep them as pets. Although you cannot get rabies by petting a wild animal, you are likely to get bitten if you try to pet or feed a wild animal. It is natural for wild animals to bite people that try to pet or feed them. Wild animals will also attack and bite when defending their young, which may be nearby but not visible. There are no injectable rabies vaccines approved for use in wildlife or hybrid crosses of domestic animals and wildlife, such as wolf-dog hybrids. 

• Consult a doctor when you are bitten or scratched by any animal and report all bites to your local health department.