RABIES ALERT – February 23, 2024 – The Anne Arundel County Department of Health is seeking anyone who may have come in contact with a bat near the intersection of Frostwood Drive and Finchleigh Street in Laurel. The bat was found on February 21, tested positive for rabies.
Typically, the Anne Arundel County Department of Health does not send out alerts for bats that test positive for rabies, but the circumstances in this situation are different. We have concerns that several children may have been in contact with the bat.
If you have children living in this area, we encourage you to have a conversation with them to find out if they were in contact with a bat recently.
Rabies is spread by the bite or scratch of an infected animal, such as a groundhog, cat, fox, raccoon, skunk or bat. It is also spread when an infected animal’s saliva comes in contact with the eyes, nose, mouth or open cut of a person or another animal. Bat bites can be small and hard to see. People may not know they have been bitten. A risk assessment should be conducted as soon as possible after any exposure to a bat.
Preventive treatment might be required for anyone who handled, fed or was attacked by the infected animal. Rabies is a fatal disease, and preventive treatment (injections) must be started as soon as possible. Please contact the Anne Arundel County Department of Health at 410-222-7254 Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. or 443-481-3140 after business hours.
If you find a sick animal, please do not touch it. Animals that appear sick or injured that have had no human or pet contact can be reported to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) at 877-463-6497 Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or the Maryland Natural Resources Police at 410-260-8888 after hours. If you or your pet have had physical contact with an animal that is sick or injured you can contact Anne Arundel County Animal Care and Control during business hours at 410-222-8900 or after hours dial 911 and ask for the on-call officer.
For information about rabies, visit www.aahealth.org/rabies. To get a free fact sheet on rabies, call 410-222-7254.