Clackamas County resident treated for rabies after encounter with infected bat

Clackamas County health officials say a bat found in a Molalla home tested positive for rabies.

The bat was captured after it came into contact with a resident in the home. The animal was euthanized, and the Oregon State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory confirmed the bat tested positive for rabies on Friday.

The county said the Molalla resident has been receiving post-exposure rabies treatments.

Rabies is a fatal but preventable viral disease. Left untreated, the virus affects the central nervous system, and once symptoms appear, it is almost always fatal. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, human fatalities are rare and typically occur in people who don’t get treatment quickly after a scratch or bite from an infected animal.

Over the past five years, the county has seen one bat per year that has tested positive for rabies, according to Dr. Sarah Present, Clackamas County’s health officer.

Health officials say the summer brings more encounters with bats — Oregon’s top rabies threat. About 8% of bats tested in the state are found to carry the virus, but officials say the actual rate in the wild is likely lower.

Foxes can also spread rabies, but health officials say that human encounters with them are uncommon. No dogs in Oregon have tested positive in 24 years and only two cats have tested positive in that time, according to health officials.

People who are bitten or scratched by a bat should wash the wound with soap and running water for at least five minutes, seek medical care and report the incident. In Clackamas County, they can call the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Program at 503-655-8411.