Tag: transmitted from animals to people

Nebraska zoo urges nearly 200 guests to get rabies shot after wild bat exposure

Seven wild bats were found in the zoo, one of which tested positive for rabies

7/10/2021 – A zoo in Nebraska told 186 guests that they may have been exposed to rabies after a wild bat that tested positive for the virus snuck into the aquarium. 

“The bats we identified were Little brown bats, a common bat species in Nebraska that anyone could find in their backyard or attic,” Dr. Sarah Woodhouse, the Animal Health Director at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, said in a statement Friday. “It is not unusual for a wild bat to be infected with rabies, which is why you should never directly touch a wild bat.” MORE

Colorado Rabies Update

Rabies in Colorado 2019

Rabies is regularly found among wildlife (especially skunks and bats) in Colorado, even in urban areas. We monitor wildlife and test animals showing signs of rabies to determine how far the disease has spread among skunks.

Rabies is a serious threat to humans and animals. Our lab-based monitoring helps us prevent cases in people and control the spread of rabies in animals, decide what treatment to use when humans have been exposed, figure out how to manage animals that might have been exposed, and add to the science of the disease.

So far in 2019, 134 animals from Colorado tested positive for rabies. Of those, 102 rabid animals are known or strongly suspected of exposing 207 domestic pets, 57 livestock animals, and 43 people. These numbers may change as additional information is acquired.