The Garland Health Department has received notification of a laboratory-confirmed case of rabies in a bat. The animal was captured near the 700 block of Maple Glen Drive on Sept. 10, 2020. We believe human exposure occurred. All parties have been notified by the Texas Department of State Health Services and Garland Animal Services. This is the third laboratory-confirmed case of rabies in an animal in Garland this year.
The rabies virus is relatively rare in North America and is occasionally found in wild or domesticated animals including, but not limited to dogs, coyotes, skunks, foxes, raccoons and bats. Infection of humans can occur if virus-laden saliva from a rabid animal is introduced through a bite, scratch, or mucus membrane (such as the nose). Without treatment, infection is almost invariably fatal.
To reduce the community’s risk to rabies, residents should regularly vaccinate their pets and should report any pet or wild animal exhibiting erratic or abnormal behavior to Garland Animal Services. Call 972-205-3570 with questions, or to report potential exposure to the rabid bat.