Maine CDC Shares Tips to Prevent Rabies from Bats

As bats become more active during the summer, precautions can limit exposure

AUGUSTA – The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) urges Maine residents and visitors to take steps to prevent contact with bats to avoid possible exposure to rabies. Bats are most active in Maine from July into early September, though bat exposures can happen at any time of year. The Maine CDC encourages people to be cautious around bats, keep a safe distance, and know what to do after exposure to a bat.

Bats play an important role in the environment but can also spread viruses such as rabies. Rabies can be fatal in humans, pets, and livestock. Timely treatment following a rabies exposure is effective in preventing the disease in humans. Human rabies cases are rare in the United States, and Maine last reported a human rabies case in 1937. In 2023, bats made up 49 percent of the 721 animals tested by Maine CDC. Nine of the bats tested positive for rabies.

Rabies spreads when infected mammals bite, and in some cases scratch, other mammals. Contact with an infected animal’s brain or spinal cord can also spread the virus to humans, pets, or livestock. The virus cannot spread in blood, urine, feces, skunk spray, or dried saliva. A rabid animal may show a variety of symptoms or no symptoms at all. Wherever possible, avoid contact with wildlife, including bats, or any animals you do not know.

Determining whether exposure to a bat occurred may be difficult. Assess each exposure on a case-by-case basis and always treat bats with caution. A bat exposure may include:

  • Bites
  • Scratches
  • Handling a bat without gloves
  • Waking up with a bat in the room
  • Finding a bat in a room with an unaccompanied child or incapacitated adult
  • Pets and livestock holding a bat in their mouths, or found in the same area as the bat (like a living room or barn)

If you think you might have been exposed to a bat, follow these steps:

  • Capture the bat safely. Do your best to safely trap the bat. Only release the bat outdoors if you are certain the bat did not have contact with people or pets. If unsure, call the Maine CDC before releasing the bat.
  • Submit the bat for rabies testing. If a bat exposure occurs, contact the Maine Warden Service. Call your local Animal Control Officer if a Warden is not available. They will pick up and transport the bat for rabies testing.
  • Seek health care. If bitten or scratched, wash the wound with soap and warm water for 10–15 minutes. Contact a health care provider. You can prevent getting rabies after a bat exposure with rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (rabies PEP). In most cases, you can wait until lab results come back for the tested animal to start rabies PEP. Your health care provider will make the decision to begin or stop rabies PEP.
  • Protect pets and livestock. Talk to a veterinarian if bats have contact with pets or livestock. Keep your pets and livestock up to date on rabies vaccination to protect them and help reduce or eliminate quarantine times.
  • Bat-proof buildings. The best way to prevent rabies is to prevent contact with rabid animals. Take steps to remove or prevent bats from entering your home or building.

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