Rabies is on the rise!

Bites from animals that are infected with rabies has risen recently, presenting a serious health threat. Not only that, but rodent, bat or insect infestations are not covered under homeowners’ insurance policies. Knowing how to stay safe, and protect your property is important.

Rabies is a viral infection that affects the nervous system of mammals. The virus is spread through the saliva and nervous tissue of rabid animals. People and animals are usually exposed to rabies through a bite from an infected animal. Exposure can occur if the saliva or nervous tissue of a rabid animal enters an open wound or mucous membrane (such as the eyes, nose, or mouth). Since the small teeth of a bat can make a bat bite difficult to detect, the presence of a bat in a room with a sleeping person, unattended child, or an intoxicated or mentally compromised person is also considered a possible exposure.

You can greatly reduce your risk of exposure and rabies can be prevented if you:

• Avoid contact with wild animals such as raccoons, foxes, skunks, woodchucks/groundhogs, and bats.
• Do not approach or handle domestic animals that you do not know, including stray dogs and cats.
• Do not attempt to handle or capture sick or orphaned wildlife.
• Keep your home and yard free of food and other debris that may attract wild animals.
• Check attics and crawl spaces for signs of bat guano and seal-off or screen-off areas properly to prevent access from animals
• Vaccinate your dogs, cats, domestic ferrets, horses and other livestock and keep their immunizations up to date.
• Secure all window unit air conditioners to ensure no gaps exist on the sides and bottom of the unit for bats to crawl through.
• Be sure all windows and doors have secure and intact screens to keep bats from entering your home.
• Make sure chimney dampers are closed. Seal all unused openings from the house into the chimney so bats cannot enter.

While bats are gentle and not aggressive, they do carry and transmit diseases, namely rabies.  Due to their small size, bats can easily squeeze into very small gaps (1/2 inch), such as in between the upper and lower window sashes, roof eaves, attic fans and vent openings. Here are some additional tips from the CDC for keeping bats our of your home.