Dead bat found inside Snellville home tests positive for rabies

Health officials are warning Gwinnett County residents to protect themselves and their pets after a dead bat found inside a Snellville home tested positive for rabies.

The bat was discovered on Aug. 28 at a residence near Stockton Walk Lane, according to Gwinnett County Animal Welfare and Enforcement and GNR Public Health. Officials did not say whether anyone was exposed to the bat.

Rabies can spread to people and pets through bites or scratches from infected animals, including bats and foxes. Health officials are asking residents to avoid wild animals, particularly those acting unusually.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says rabies attacks the central nervous system and is nearly always fatal once symptoms develop. Early symptoms in people can include fever, headache, weakness and general discomfort.

Anyone bitten or scratched by a stray animal or an animal suspected of having rabies should seek medical care immediately and tell the health care provider about the possible exposure. Residents should then call GNR Public Health at 770-339-4260 and ask for the on-call epidemiologist.

Pet owners should also make sure their animals are current on their rabies vaccinations. Unvaccinated dogs and cats exposed to a rabid animal must be quarantined for four months and vaccinated one month before their release, according to guidance cited by county officials.

The Snellville case follows two recent rabies cases involving bats in neighboring DeKalb County.

A dead bat found near Terry Mill Road tested positive for rabies Aug. 21. Another bat found near Columbia Drive and York Place in the Stone Mountain area tested positive in July. Raccoons and other animals have also tested positive in DeKalb County in recent months.

Georgia is considered a rabies-endemic state, meaning the virus is present in wildlife throughout the year. The CDC says bats are among the wild animals most frequently found with rabies in the United States.