Rabies
We do have rabies in Northeastern Connecticut, and seeing a potentially rabid animal is a serious matter.
- If you suspect a captured animal has rabies, report the capture to the Health District (or to the local police if after hours).
- Please remember that rabies testing can only be done effectively on the brain of the infected animal, so it is important to not damage the animal's head.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has many resources for understanding rabies at their website, "Questions and Answers About Rabies".
Bats can carry rabies! With the warmer weather, many families and children might find themselves at risk while camping out or attending a residential camp. Even houses and barns in our area have the potential for housing bats. Although many people know to stay away from wild animals that act abnormal, bites and scratches from bats are often so small they go unnoticed.
If you see a bat in a room where someone has been sleeping, the bat should be captured without damage to the bat’s head and kept cool.
Some tips from the Connecticut Department of Public Health for safely catching a bat in a room include:
- Wear gloves, and avoid skin contact with the bat
- Confine bat to one room (close doors, closets, and windows)
- Turn on lights in the room
- When the bat lands on a surface, cover with a small container (coffee can, shoe box, plastic bowl, etc)
- Slide a piece of cardboard under the container to capture bat and secure with tape
- Consult a Nuisance Wildlife Control
Officer or a veterinarian about euthanizing the animal for testing
Additional information about rabies from the Connecticut Department of Public Health can be found HERE