A bat that had human contact tested positive for rabies last week, according to the Flathead City-County Health Department. It’s the first animal that has tested positive for rabies in Flathead County this year.

The health department said in a release on Monday that not all bats carry rabies, but after contact with an animal or human it must be tested. Any contact with a bat must be reported to the health department, where personnel will assess the situation and cover the cost of rabies testing if deemed necessary.

If a bat is not available for testing and a person or animal has been bitten, scratched or been in direct contact, it is considered a rabies exposure and the appropriate follow-up, including postexposure prophylaxis for humans, must be completed.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, post-exposure prophylaxis, or PEP, consists of a dose of human rabies immune globulin and rabies vaccine given on the day of the exposure, followed by a dose of the vaccine given again on days three, seven and 14.

In order to ensure the health department can test a bat for rabies, the brain or head must be intact and refrigerated until it is sent in for testing. It cannot be frozen. Further instructions on how to safely capture a bat for testing are available on the health department’s website at flatheadhealth.org.

Health officials note that bats are of special concern because a bat bite may not be noticeable. If a bat is found in an area where contact may have occurred but gone undetected, such as a bedroom

with a sleeping adult or child, it should be tested for rabies.

Health department officials advise against feeding or handling wild animals, especially bats. They also recommend vaccinating your pets against rabies, because cats in particular are susceptible to rabies exposure due to a higher risk of interaction with wild animals. All dogs and cats are required to have a current rabies certificate in Flathead County.

Placing screens on windows, doors and chimneys is one way to “bat-proof” your house, according to the health department. It is also important to watch for abnormal animal behavior, like seeing a bat during the daytime and getting too close to humans. If you see a wild animal acting strangely, leave it alone and contact law enforcement or animal control if you believe it may pose a danger.

Contact the health department’s Communicable Disease Line at 406-751-8117 to report if a bat has had human or animal contact and to get guidance on proper procedure.