SALT LAKE CITY — A bat found inside Pioneer Park and handled by numerous people has tested positive for rabies, the Salt Lake County Health Department warned Wednesday.
The bat was found Friday, and the department said those experiencing homelessness at the park told an animal service officer that several people had handled the bat for an extended period of time.
Due to the amount people who came in contact with the bat, the health department is at the park hoping to distribute medication in an effort to prevent rabies infections.
"We are operating on worst case assumption that multiple people touched it and it was around for a while, but we just don't know for sure," said Nicholas Rupp with the health department.
Health officials are also working with the Fourth Street Clinic and other homeless resource centers to alert people who may have had contact with the animal.
Anyone who has touched the bat discovered at Pioneer Park or anywhere else should call 385-468-4222 and get checked out for rabies, or visit a hospital emergency room.
According to the health department, "bats with rabies may behave unusually, such as entering areas they would usually avoid or spending time on the ground. They may also be weak, dehydrated or unable to fly, making them more approachable than usual."
Those who see a bat should:
- Do not touch, catch, or harm it.
- Keep children and pets away.
"If you're anywhere and you see a bat and it's behaving normally, meaning it's staying away from you, roosting in trees, it's fine — leave it alone," Rupp advised. "If you see a bat that is on the ground, is allowing you to approach it, is behaving unusually, call your local animal services and let them know."
