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Two bats test positive for rabies at Grand Canyon
Anyone who may have had physical contact with a bat is encouraged to contact the National Park immediately

GRAND CANYON, Ariz. - Two Grand Canyon bats have tested positive for rabies.

On July 16 sometime between 2:30-3 p.m., a bat landed on a visitor while she was standing in front of the Tusayan Museum, just west of the Desert View Visitors' Center.

The bat crawled on the visitor's shorts, shirt and leg for at least 10 minutes. A crowd gathered around the bat to take pictures. The bat was later captured, euthanized and tested positive for rabies on July 19. The identity of the person is unknown at this time.

A second bat was found dead on the North Kaibab Trail on July 12 and also tested positive for rabies. There are no known human exposures to this bat. These two bats are the first rabies-positive animals identified by Grand Canyon National Park in 2014. It is unknown if other animals in the park are infected.

As a precautionary measure, any person who may have had physical contact with either of these bats is encouraged to contact the park as soon as possible at (928) 638-7767 and to see a healthcare provider. Rabies is preventable if medical treatment, called post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), is given after exposure to a rabid animal, but is almost always fatal if PEP is not given prior to the development of symptoms.

Rabies is a serious disease that can kill both animals and humans. Humans usually get rabies through contact with an infected animal's saliva, such as a bite or scratch. All mammals are susceptible to rabies, including bats, skunks and foxes. In particular, rabies should be considered in animals that exhibit unusual or aggressive behavior or are not afraid of humans.

Grand Canyon National Park would like to remind visitors about the following things they can do to protect themselves from rabies:

• Visitors should not approach or touch sick or erratically behaving wildlife. Notify a park employee or call the park's 24-hour emergency communications center at (928) 638-7805.

• In areas where pets are allowed, make sure that pets are vaccinated and kept on a leash at all times.

• Visitors should teach children to tell them if they were bitten or scratched by an animal.

• Anyone who has had contact with a bat or other wild animal in the park should notify a park employee as soon as possible.

• Visitors are reminded to observe and appreciate wildlife from a distance.

Rabid bats have been documented in all 48 continental states. Cases of rabies in animals are reported in Coconino County each year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "Recent data suggest that transmission of rabies virus can occur from minor, seemingly unimportant, or unrecognized bites from bats. Human and domestic animal contact with bats should be minimized, and bats should never be handled by untrained and unvaccinated persons or be kept as pets."

Additional information can be found at www.cdc.gov/rabies/exposure/animals/bats.html.

The park is working with the National Park Service Office of Public Health and Wildlife Health Branch to protect the health and safety of visitors and wildlife in the park by testing any sick or dead wildlife. More information will be released as it becomes available.


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