According to health officials in Collin County, Texas, there was a possible rabies exposure at a Celina community pool late last week.
WFAA reports that the incident happened on Friday, July 1 at Heritage Celina Homeowner's Association community pool at 1231 Stanford Lane. A bat was in and near the crowded pool, and a number of children are said to have touched the animal.
Update 7/6/22 - 3:00 p.m. Collin County Health Care Services tells Local Profile that two minors are being treated after coming into contact with the bat. They have not been tested for rabies, and the treatment is preventative. The bat still has yet to be located. The original story continues below.
Health officials believe the bat could have rabies due to the way it was behaving and are asking children to get tested for the disease. Rabies is preventable if caught and treated before symptoms appear, Collin County Health Care Services pointed out.
Bat has not been located, nor has it been tested.
Local Profile reached out to the Collin County sheriff's dispatch for the epidemiologist on call but did not hear back prior to publication.
According to the CDC, bats are among the most commonly infected rabid animals in the US, and they are also the number one cause of rabies in the country. Bats transmit rabies through scratches as well as bites as the animal's saliva carries the disease.
"The good news is that most bats don’t have rabies," states the CDC, adding that rabies can only be confirmed by laboratory tests.
"If you are outside and have direct contact with a bat, you should talk to a healthcare or public health professional to decide if you need to be vaccinated to prevent rabies," states the CDC. "If you’re not sure if contact occurred but find a bat on or near you (for example, if you wake up with a bat near or on you), then you may need vaccination."
