PLAINSBORO — A rabid bat was found in a residence here on Sept. 19, officials announced today, Friday.
The bat was found in a residence near Thoreau and Tennyson drives, according to the Middlesex County Office of Health Services. The bat was sent to the state Department of Health Laboratory for testing and the animal tested positive for rabies, the county learned on Wednesday.
One person was exposed to the bat, the county press release said, and referred to their personal physician regarding the exposure. Officials did not say if the person was bitten or scratched by the bat. It was the first reported rabies case in Plainsboro this year.
Also this week, the county reported that a rabid raccoon was found in New Brunswick on Sept. 17. It was tested at the state lab and found to be positive for rabies. In that case, the first in New Brunswick this year, there was no known exposure to humans or animals, the county said. The two cases are the 19th and 20th in Middlesex County this year.
The Middlesex County Office of Health Services will continue to monitor rabies cases within the municipality. Residents should report wild animals showing signs of unusual behavior to the local police department. Additionally, it is recommended that residents should avoid contact with wild animals and immediately report any bites from wild or domestic animals to their local health department and consult a physician as soon as possible. Finally, be sure that all family pets are up to date on their rabies vaccinations and licenses, the county release said.
Additionally, a Middlesex County Office of Health Services’ Registered Environmental Health Specialist will be distributing rabies fact sheets within the areas where the animals were found.
Rabies is caused by a virus which can infect all warm-blooded mammals, including man. The rabies virus is found in the saliva of a rabid animal and is transmitted by a bite, or possibly by contamination of an open cut. New Jersey is enzootic for raccoon and bat variants of rabies. Bats, raccoons, skunks, groundhogs, foxes, cats, and dogs represent about 95 percent of animals diagnosed with rabies in the United States.
