A bat recently found at a Niwot home is the first to test positive in Boulder County this year, public health officials announced Friday afternoon.
The Boulder County Public Health department asked anyone who may have come into contact with a bat to contact the department, and reminded residents to never touch wild animals. Officials did not specify when the bat was found.
“While this bat was found in Niwot, rabies can occur anywhere in Boulder County,” Carly Wilson, a department environmental health specialist, said in a statement. “The best way to protect yourself, your family, and your pets is to avoid contact with bats and other wildlife, keep pets up to date on their rabies vaccinations, and seek guidance right away if there is a possible exposure.”
The bat is the first animal to test positive for rabies in Boulder County this year, according to Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment data last updated Wednesday afternoon. Statewide, 12 animals — seven of them bats — have tested positive for rabies so far this year.
Rabies is a deadly viral disease most commonly spread through bites or scratches from an infected animal, according to the public health department. About 15% of bats tested for rabies in Colorado test positive, according to a Boulder County news release, and skunks, raccoons and foxes can also carry the disease.
Anyone who may have come into contact with a bat should contact Boulder County Public Health immediately at 303-441-1564, the department said in the release.