5th Rabies Case Confirmed In Polk County

WINTER HAVEN, FL — A dead bat discovered in a Winter Haven neighborhood has tested positive for rabies. This is the fifth case of the deadly disease found in Polk County so far in 2019.

The Polk County Sheriff's Office Animal Control Section said that the results of the rabies test came back Wednesday. Officials said that a resident stepped on the bat near a home on Little Lake Court.

"The bat was later found in the same spot, dead. It was sent for rabies testing," the sheriff's office said.

Two donkeys were placed in quarantine earlier this year after one of the donkeys was found with a dead raccoon in its mouth that tested positive for rabies.

In late January, state health officials issued a rabies alert for the Kathleen area of Lakeland after another raccoon tested positive.

A third raccoon tested positive in the Jan Phyl Village area south of Auburndale in February while a dead bat found in a Lakeland garage tested positive for rabies in April.

There were three confirmed rabies cases in Polk County in 2018, including a December incident in which a raccoon tested positive for rabies after biting a Chihuahua.

To report a possible exposure, call the PCSO Animal Control Section at 863.577.1762.

Rabies is described by the World Health Organization as an infectious viral disease that is almost always fatal following the onset of clinical signs.

The Florida Department of Health reports that the virus can spread to unvaccinated pets, which then pose a high risk to the pet owner and their family.

Here are some tips from the Department of Health to avoid exposure:

• Keep rabies vaccinations up to date for all pets.
• Keep your pets under direct supervision so they do not come in contact with wild animals.
• If your pet is bitten by a wild animal, seek veterinary assistance for the animal immediately and call the PCSO Animal Control Section at 863.577.1762.
• Do not handle, feed or unintentionally attract wild animals with open garbage cans.
• Do not leave food sources out such as pet food or unsecured garbage.
• Avoid contact with stray and feral animals.
• Never adopt wild animals or bring them into your home.
• Teach children never to handle unfamiliar animals, wild or domestic, even if they appear friendly.
• Prevent bats from entering living quarters or occupied spaces in homes, churches, schools and other similar areas where they might come in contact with people and pets.
• Persons who have been bitten or scratched by wild or domestic animals should seek medical attention and report the injury to the PCSO Animal Control Section at 863.577.1762.

"The only treatment for human exposure to rabies is rabies-specific immune globulin and rabies immunization," health officials cautioned. "Appropriate treatment started soon after the exposure will protect an exposed person from the disease."