The first bat to test positive for rabies in Jefferson County this year was discovered in a heavily populated area of the Belmar neighborhood near the 700 block of Reed Street, county health officials said Monday.
Jefferson County Public Health officials tweeted a photo of a bat with its mouth opened wide and razor-sharp teeth exposed.
NOTICE: The first #bat to test positive for #rabies in Jeffco this year was found in a high-traffic area of Belmar near the 700 block of S. Reed Street in Lakewood. Bats that are active during the day or unable to fly should be considered possibly rabid. https://t.co/d6dR6vTfIw pic.twitter.com/mybzYyYGkI
— Jeffco Public Health (@JeffcoPH) June 17, 2019
The health department warns that bats that fly during the day or can’t fly at all should be considered possibly rabid.
Any wild mammal including raccoons, skunks, foxes and coyotes can have rabies and infect humans, the health department said. Although rare, it is also possible for people to get rabies when infectious material from a rabid animal, such as saliva, gets directly into their eyes, nose, mouth or a wound.
Rabies is a fatal disease if left untreated.
However, thousands of people are successfully treated each year after being bitten by an animal that may have rabies. A few people die of rabies each year in the U.S., usually because they do not recognize the risk of rabies from the bite of a wild animal and do not seek medical advice immediately, the health department said.