MOSES LAKE - Grant County Health District officials are warning people to stay away from bats, alive or dead, due to their potential for carrying the deadly rabies virus.

Some Moses Lake children are undergoing rabies treatment after they were found playing with several dead bats. The bat bodies were too damaged for testing, and in those circumstances the health district recommended rabies shots for the kids, said Theresa Adkinson, the health district's public information officer.

Bats are the primary carriers of rabies in the northwest United States, Adkinson said, and between 5 and 10 percent of the bats submitted for testing to the state Department of Health test positive for the disease.

"Bats tested are more likely to test positive for rabies because they tend to be sick and injured," Adkinson wrote.

"Less than 1 percent of healthy bats are infected."

A rabid bat was identified in Pasco earlier this month. A child who was attacked by the bat is being treated for rabies.

Health district officials are reminding residents to avoid touching any bats they find, and to seek immediate medical attention if they are bitten by or come in contact with a bat.

The rabies virus is in the saliva of a rabid animal, and usually is spread through a bite or scratch.

Residents who find a bat in the house or at work should contact the health district, Adkinson said. "Health district staff will help you determine if any people or pets in your home may have been exposed," she said.

Residents should make it tougher for bats by ensuring open windows have screens, and any small entry points, like cracks, crevices or holes, are sealed.