Correction, July 1, 2026 12:33 pm: This story was updated on July 1 at 12:34 p.m. to correct a quote from Robert Baker of the Benton County Health Department. For further clarification — the public should never handle a bat with their bare hands.
A bat found on a Benton County property has tested positive for rabies, marking the first confirmed rabies case in a Benton County bat this year, according to a Tuesday announcement from the Benton County Health Department.
The bat was discovered June 15 by a resident who believed it may have had contact with their domestic animals. The resident brought the bat to the Oregon State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, which confirmed the positive rabies result on June 17.
“Rabies is present in the bat population and bats are the primary reservoir of rabies in wild animals for our area of the country,” Robert Baker of Benton County Environmental Health said through a news release. “Direct hand contact with bats should always be avoided.”
Health officials emphasized that bats serve a valuable ecological role, particularly in controlling insect populations, and that most bats do not carry rabies. People cannot contract the disease simply by seeing a bat or touching bat guano. However, infected bats can transmit the virus through bites, scratches, or saliva contact with the eyes, nose, mouth or an open wound.
The health department offered the following guidance for residents:
- Avoid all direct contact with bats whenever possible.
- If handling a bat is unavoidable, use sturdy gloves and/or a tool such as a shovel.
- If a bat bites someone, contact Benton County Environmental Health at 541-766-6835 within 24 hours. If safe to do so, try to capture the bat so it can be tested for rabies. Instructions for safe capture are available on the county’s animal bites webpage.
- Ensure pets are vaccinated against rabies.
“All pet owners should make certain that their dogs and cats are vaccinated against rabies. Protecting pets from rabies can provide a buffer zone of immune animals between humans and rabid wild animals such as bats,” said Emillio DeBess, Oregon Health Authority director of veterinary medicine.
Rabies is a preventable but fatal disease if medical care isn’t sought before symptoms appear. It spreads primarily through bites or scratches from infected animals. Symptoms in animals can include lethargy, circling, loss of coordination, convulsions, irritability, aggression, disorientation, excessive drooling and an unusual lack of fear toward humans. Animals showing these signs should not be approached or handled.
Residents who have had contact with bats or other animals appearing sick, injured or aggressive should contact Benton County Environmental Health at 541-766-6835.
Additional information is available on Benton County’s animal bites webpage, the Oregon Health Authority’s rabies page and the CDC’s rabies page.