Bat Exposure In & Around Cozad

Friday, September 22, 2017

At Cozad Community Health System your well-being is our utmost concern.  The information below is to make you aware of the current situation of bat exposure in and around Cozad, Nebraska.  A confirmed rabid bat was in the Cozad area on September 17, 2017 during the little league football games.  If exposed by direct contact with the bat please see your local healthcare provider or call Two Rivers Public Health at (308) 995-4778 immediately.  Please see the following for further information to inform you.

Rabies is transmitted only when the virus is introduced into a bite wound, open cuts in skin, or onto mucous membranes such as the mouth or eyes.

Other factors to consider when evaluating a potential rabies exposure include the natural occurrence in the area, the biting animal’s history and current health status (e.g., abnormal behavior, signs of illness), and the potential for the animal to be exposed to rabies (e.g., presence of an unexplained wound or history of exposure to a rabid animal).

When an exposure has occurred, the likelihood of rabies infection varies with the nature and extent of that exposure. Under most circumstances, two categories of exposure — bite and non-bite — should be considered.

Bite

Any penetration of the skin by teeth constitutes a bite exposure. All bites, regardless of body site, represent a potential risk of rabies transmission, but that risk varies with the species of biting animal, the anatomic site of the bite, and the severity of the wound.

Bites by some animals, such as bats, can inflict minor injury and thus be difficult to detect.

Was the bite from a provoked or an unprovoked attack? Bites inflicted on a person attempting to feed or handle an apparently healthy animal should generally be regarded as provoked. If it was an unprovoked attack, that’s more likely to indicate that the animal is rabid.

Non-bite

The contamination of open wounds, abrasions, mucous membranes, or theoretically, scratches (potentially contaminated with infectious material from a rabid animal) constitutes a non-bite exposure.

Non-bite exposures from terrestrial animals rarely cause rabies. However, occasional reports of rabies transmission by non-bite exposures suggest that such exposures should be evaluated for possible post-exposure prophylaxis administration.

Other contact by itself, such as petting a rabid animal and contact with blood, urine, or feces of a rabid animal, does not constitute an exposure and is not an indication for post-exposure vaccination.

Rabies post-exposure prophylaxis is recommended for all persons with bite, scratch, or mucous membrane exposure to a bat, unless the bat is available for testing and is negative for evidence of rabies.

Post-exposure prophylaxis should be considered when direct contact between a human and a bat has occurred, unless the exposed person can be certain a bite, scratch, or mucous membrane exposure did not occur.

When to see a Doctor…..

The rabies virus is transmitted through saliva or brain/nervous system tissue. You can only get rabies by coming in contact with these specific bodily excretions and tissues.

It’s important to remember that rabies is a medical urgency but not an emergency. Decisions should not be delayed.

Wash any wounds immediately. One of the most effective ways to decrease the chance for infection is to wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water.

See your doctor for attention for any trauma due to an animal attack before considering the need for rabies vaccination.

Your doctor, possibly in consultation with your state or local health department, will decide if you need a rabies vaccination. Decisions to start vaccination, known as post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), will be based on your type of exposure and the animal you were exposed to, as well as laboratory and surveillance information for the geographic area where the exposure occurred.

In the United States, post-exposure prophylaxis consists of a regimen of one dose of immune globulin and four doses of rabies vaccine over a 14-day period. Rabies immune globulin and the first dose of rabies vaccine should be given by your health care provider as soon as possible after exposure. Additional doses or rabies vaccine should be given on days 3, 7, and 14 after the first vaccination. Current vaccines are relatively painless and are given in your arm, like a flu or tetanus vaccine.

Again Cozad Community Health System Physicians are concerned with your wellbeing and are willing to answer any questions you may have.

Information was obtained from CDC at www.cdc.gov.

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