Properly being Unit factors warning after family uncovered to rabid bat

The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit is urging Northumberland, Haliburton and Kawartha Lakes residents to be vigilant when it comes to 'bat proofing' their homes after an incident where a local family was exposed to a bat that later tested positive for the virus.

Area residents are being urged to take precautions in opposition to rabies inside the wake of an incident by which members of an space family had been uncovered to a rabid bat of their home.

The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (HKPR) District Properly being Unit research the affected relations had been provided post-exposure vaccine for rabies and are recovering correctly inside the aftermath. The family-owned pets are moreover receiving follow-up with a veterinarian on potential rabies publicity for the animals.

The incident occurred not too way back at a Kawartha Lakes home the place the bat had entered the dwelling and presumably uncovered the occupants to rabies. The bat was captured, despatched for testing and subsequently found to be constructive for rabies.

The incident is a reminder for people to take care spherical bats and assure their pets are up-to-date on their rabies vaccination.

“Contact with any wild animal, along with bats, must be prevented if the least bit potential. That message applies to people and pets,” says effectively being unit environmental effectively being supervisor Richard Ovcharovich. “It’s on no account undoubtedly well worth the menace, significantly when rabies is worried.”

Rabies is transmitted when there’s contact with the saliva of an contaminated animal by way of a piece, lick, or scratch. As on this incident, a post-exposure vaccine is in the marketplace for folks inside the event of contact with a rabid animal. If left untreated, rabies is form of always a lethal sickness attributable to a virus that impacts the central nervous system of warm-blooded animals, along with folks.

Although most animal bites are readily apparent, bites inflicted by bats may be more durable to notice, significantly if it contains an toddler, teen, or these with cognitive impairments.

To this end, the effectively being unit provides the next suggestions:

•Immediately report any potential contact with a bat or exact or suspected chunk this to a family doctor and the effectively being unit (1-866-888-4577, ext. 5006).

•Do not contact a bat with bare fingers. If there was no human contact (chunk or scratch), open a window and allow the bat to get out. Don’t contact a bat that is injured, performing uncommon or lifeless.

•To remove bats, contact educated pest administration agency or wildlife eradicating agency.

•If doing it personally, rigorously take a look at the home for holes that will allow bats entry into residing quarters, then take steps to seal them much like caulking openings larger than a quarter-inch by a half-inch, guaranteeing all doorways to the pores and skin shut adequately, and use window screens, chimney caps, and draft-guards beneath doorways to attics.

For further data go to www.hkpr.on.ca.