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Kittitas (pronounced 'KITT-i-tass') County is located in central Washington State. It spans from the lush forested Cascade Mountains to the upper Yakima River Valley plains and the Columbia River.
Kittitas County, WA - 08/17/2022 - The Kittitas County Public Health Department (KCPHD) received a bat for testing from a community member. The bat tested positive for rabies. A female and her pet were exposed to the bat. The female is over all healthy and received post exposure care and is expected to be fine. The pet was up to date on the rabies vaccine.
Bats are the primary animal that carry rabies in Washington State. Each year the Washington State Department of Health tests bats, cats, dogs, and ferrets for rabies. The last bat that tested positive in Kittitas County was in 2013. To date, Kittitas County has had four bats test positive for rabies since 2008. Rabies is a severe viral disease that affects the central nervous system. It is very rare for a person to get rabies. Proper treatment can prevent rabies in a person who is exposed. Without treatment, rabies is always fatal to humans. If you find a bat in your home, do not touch the bat. Wear thick or leather gloves and capture the bat in a can or box. Seal the container and call your local health department. The staff will help you determine if any people or pets in your home may have been exposed. Human rabies is controlled by vaccinating dogs and cats and by giving a series of vaccines to people after they have been exposed. Vaccinate your pets, do not keep wild animals as pets, do not approach wild animals, and teach young children to never touch or handle bats, even dead ones. For more information about rabies, please visit https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/illness-and-disease-z/rabies-0 or contact the Kittitas County Public Health Department at 509-962-7515.
Kittitas County, from the Cascades to the Columbia, and online at http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us
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Contact: Kasey Knutson, Public Information Officer, (509) 962-7515