Bat tests positive for rabies in Grand Canyon National Park

GRAND CANYON—A bat recently removed from an area along the Colorado River within Grand Canyon National Park has tested positive for rabies. All visitors to Grand Canyon, including those who are recreating in the backcountry and on the Colorado River, are reminded to be aware of their surroundings and be alert to potential interactions with bats or other wild animals.

“Recent data suggest that transmission of rabies virus can occur from minor, seemingly unimportant, or unrecognized bites from bats,” said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Human and domestic animal contact with bats should be minimized, and bats should never be handled by untrained and unvaccinated persons or be kept as pets.”

Those individuals who are camping in the backcountry and along the river should strongly consider using a tent while sleeping to prevent any contact with bats or other wildlife. As a precautionary measure, anyone who comes into contact with a bat should notify a park employee and see a healthcare provider as soon as possible. Rabies is preventable if medical treatment (called post-exposure prophylaxis or PEP) is given following an exposure to a rabid animal, but is almost always fatal if PEP is not given prior to the development of symptoms.

Rabies is a serious disease that can kill both animals and humans. Humans usually get rabies through contact with an infected animal’s saliva, such as a bite or scratch. All mammals are susceptible to rabies, including bats, skunks, and foxes. In particular, rabies should be considered in animals that exhibit unusual or aggressive behavior or are not afraid of humans.

Grand Canyon National Park would like to remind visitors about the following things they can do to protect themselves from rabies:

  • If you see sick or erratic behaving wildlife, do not approach or touch them. Notify a park employee or call the park’s 24-hour emergency communications center at 928-638-7805.
  • In areas where pets are allowed, make sure that pets are vaccinated and kept on a leash at all times.
  • Teach your children to tell you if they were bitten or scratched by an animal.
  • Anyone who has had contact with a bat or other wild animal in the park should notify a park employee as soon as possible.
  • Visitors are reminded to observe and appreciate wildlife from a distance.

Rabid bats have been documented in all 48 continental states. Cases of rabies in animals are reported in Coconino County, Arizona, each year; including the two bats found positive earlier this year within Grand Canyon National Park.

Grand Canyon National Park is working with the Coconino County Public Health Services District and the National Park Service Office of Public Health and Wildlife Health Branch to protect the health and safety of visitors and wildlife in the park by testing any sick or dead wildlife.

Resources

  • Additional information on rabies exposure can be found at the CDC website
  • Grand Canyon National Park website

Related posts

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @STGnews

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!

1 Comment

  • ladybugavenger October 24, 2014 at 10:05 pm

    Bats are like BOBBER and KOOLAID “..should never be handled by untrained and unvaccinated persons…”

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.