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Bat season in Pueblo
It is bat season again and the Pueblo City-County Health Department has already received bats to be tested for the rabies virus. One bat submitted for testing had bitten a woman in her bed and another bat had been caught by a cat. Both of these bats tested positive for rabies.
The Pueblo City-County Health Department would like to use this opportunity to remind pet owners that dogs and cats are required to have current rabies vaccinations. Household pets may come in contact with rabid bats and the pet owner may not know about the encounter.
Every year bats testing positive for rabies are found in Pueblo County. If stray cats are a problem in an area, please contact the Animal Control Division at 549-1232. If an unvaccinated dog or cat is known to have been bitten by a rabid animal, the animal should be euthanized immediately or it must be placed in strict isolation for 6 months and vaccinated one month before being released. It is therefore a high risk not to vaccinate your pets.
The concern is that rabies can be transferred to people if current rabies vaccinations are not in place.The Pueblo City-County Health Department responds to many situations involving bats and either pets or people. If you are bitten or scratched by a bat, this is a medical emergency that requires immediate medical attention. Clean the area with soap and water and apply alcohol or iodine.
Bat teeth are small and very sharp, so the wound may be no more than a pin-like puncture, or may not be visible at all. If the bat is not recovered or it tests positive for rabies, you will need postexposure rabies treatment immediately. If a bat is found in a room in which a person has been sleeping, the bat should be caught and tested. Rabies shots are not nearly as traumatic as in the past.
Today, fewer shots are required, and they are administered in the arm and buttocks, rather than the stomach, Further information on bats and rabies issues can be obtained by calling the Pueblo City-County Health Department at (719) 583-4323.
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