Seasonal bat activity increases threat of rabies
GARFIELD COUNTY, CO – Seasonal bat activity is prompting Garfield County Public Health to issue warnings about rabies. Rabies is a fatal, but preventable viral disease. It can spread to people and pets if they are bitten or scratched by a rabid animal. Statewide, 120 animals – including bats, skunks, raccoons, dogs, cats, and a cow – have tested positive for the disease this year. In Western Colorado, the most common source of rabies is from bats. “We want to encourage people not to touch wildlife,” said Danielle Dudley, a nurse with Garfield County Public Health. “In our region, contact
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Wildlife is best left in the wild
GARFIELD COUNTY, CO – Garfield County Public Health is urging residents to let stray and wild animals be, check their pets’ vaccination status, and take other precautions to avoid rabies. In the past month, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) laboratory has seen a rapid increase in the number of bats submitted for rabies testing. All the bats that have been tested interacted with domestic pets, people, or were found in spaces where humans reside; four collected last week tested positive for the disease. Since 2007, four bats have been found carrying rabies in Garfield County. Bats
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