Post by Sharon Faulkner on Sept 29, 2006 7:34:19 GMT -5
Rabid Bat Bites Man
September 28, 2006
HOUSTON -- A northwest Harris County man was bitten by a rabid bat, officials told KPRC Local 2 Thursday.
He was picking up leaves in his yard when a bat flew out. The man then caught it and the bat bit him in the hand. He will undergo a series of six rabies shots over the next 30 days because the bat tested positive for the disease.
The Harris County Health Department handed out fliers warning residents that a bat in their area tested positive for rabies.
Neighbor Gary Ferguson is worried for his own safety. "It shakes me up that there's bats around," he said.
The number of bats testing positive for rabies seems to be on the rise. But, county health officials said it's not uncommon. "Rabies is cyclical. Some years, you'll have just a few cases and then it will peak, and then it will go back down again. That's a normal process," said Colleen Hodges with the Harris County Health and Environmental Services.
Officials said everyone should avoid direct contact with any bat.
www.click2houston.com/news/9957978/detail.html
September 28, 2006
HOUSTON -- A northwest Harris County man was bitten by a rabid bat, officials told KPRC Local 2 Thursday.
He was picking up leaves in his yard when a bat flew out. The man then caught it and the bat bit him in the hand. He will undergo a series of six rabies shots over the next 30 days because the bat tested positive for the disease.
The Harris County Health Department handed out fliers warning residents that a bat in their area tested positive for rabies.
Neighbor Gary Ferguson is worried for his own safety. "It shakes me up that there's bats around," he said.
The number of bats testing positive for rabies seems to be on the rise. But, county health officials said it's not uncommon. "Rabies is cyclical. Some years, you'll have just a few cases and then it will peak, and then it will go back down again. That's a normal process," said Colleen Hodges with the Harris County Health and Environmental Services.
Officials said everyone should avoid direct contact with any bat.
www.click2houston.com/news/9957978/detail.html