This story is part of our Quick Hits series. This series will bring you breaking news and short updates from throughout the state.
Wyoming’s first case of rabies this year was confirmed in Sheridan County.
The Wyoming Department of Health said a rabid bat was found in the backyard of a home in a downtown residential neighborhood in Sheridan County in May.
The department says this “highlights the need to stay alert outdoors, not just in the woods.”
Last year, Wyoming had six confirmed cases of rabies. Grand Teton National Park also had a scare when 200 guests from 38 states and seven countries were potentially exposed to the disease after a bat colony was found in an attic space of Jackson Lake Lodge.
The most common carriers of rabies are bats and skunks, but any mammal can become infected by a bite or scratch from an animal with the disease. Rabies is not spread through touching an infected animal or its feces or urine.
Bat bites are not always visible, the health department warned. Anyone who has direct contact with a bat or who wakes up with a bat in their room should immediately contact a doctor or public health provider for assessment.
Anyone bitten should wash the wound thoroughly with warm water and soap and seek medical advice about the need for rabies post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) treatment.
Dogs, cats, ferrets, horses, cattle and sheep can be vaccinated against rabies.
The Wyoming Department of Health’s website shares more information about rabies in Wyoming.
