Rabid bat found in Thorndale

On June 6 around 10:20 a.m. a live bat was found in the yard of a residence. There was no known contact with the bat and it is unknown how long the bat was located near this area. The Thorndale Police Department impounded the animal and submitted it for testing at the Department of State Health Services where it tested positive for rabies.

If you had contact with this bat, call the Thorndale Police Department immediately. Rabies is a fatal disease.

Persons who had contact with this bat should see their physicians as soon as possible to discuss the need for post-exposure rabies vaccinations. Additionally, they should contact the Thorndale Police at (254) 697-7033 and the Texas Department of State Health Services Zoonosis Control Program (254) 778-6744, to report their potential exposures.

A rabies exposure is defined as (1) an animal bite which breaks the skin or (2) exposure of broken skin or mucous membranes to saliva or cerebrospinal fluid.

After families assess their potential for exposure to the rabid bat, they should determine if their pets could have interacted with this animal. If their pets had face-to-face contact with or were bitten by the bat, additional rabies vaccinations for their pets may be warranted. Your veterinarian and the Texas Department of State Health Services Zoonosis Control Program (254) 778-6744 can guide you through the post-exposure vaccination series and home confinement necessary after a pet has been exposed to a rabid animal.

If you have knowledge of someone that came into contact with this bat, please call the Thorndale Police immediately.