Rabid Bat Bites Person In Michigan, Health Officials Say

ST. CLAIR COUNTY, MI — A person has been bitten by a rabid bat in St. Clair County, health officials said Friday.

County health officials did not identify the person, but said they were receiving proper medical treatment. The bat was identified by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services after the person was bitten. It is the first rabid bat detected in St. Clair County in 2025.

Officials said roughly 60 animals in Michigan test positive for rabies, and about 90 percent of those are bats.

Rabies is a fatal but preventable viral disease. It spreads to people and pets if they are bitten or scratched by a rabid animal, usually by raccoons, skunks, bats and foxes.

The virus infects the central nervous system, resulting in disease within the brain and then death. If a person is exposed to rabies, the disease can be prevented with a series of shots before symptoms occur.

Health officials reminded residents of the following rabies prevention measures:

• Make sure all open doors and windows have screens to prevent bats from entering your home. Check for other small openings, especially in older homes. Bats can enter through holes the size of a dime.
• If you are bitten or scratched by a stray or wild animal, clean the bite or scratch wound immediately with soap and water and seek immediate medical attention.
• Keep all pets, including cats, dogs, ferrets, and horses, up to date on rabies vaccines.

Anyone who has had contact with a bat or other wild animal should call the St. Clair County Health Department at 810-987-5300 (option 7).

Human cases of rabies are rare and are almost always fatal. A Michigan man died earlier this year from rabies that didn't come from being bitten by an animal, but from an organ transplant, health officials said. A Minnesota woman died of rabies in 2024, and an Illinois man who refused post-exposure treatment died in 2021.