Muskegon County Public Health announced last Thursday that a bat found in the county has tested positive for rabies. This is the first bat to test positive for rabies in Muskegon County in 2026.
To reduce the risk of exposure to rabies, residents should:
Avoid contact with bats. Never touch a bat with bare hands.
Keep pets’ rabies vaccinations up to date.
Take steps to bat-proof homes and prevent bats from entering.
Most people will not come into contact with a bat that has rabies. However, any direct contact with a bat should be considered a potential rabies exposure. Bat bites may be very small and are not always visible.
Potential exposure can occur when:
A person is bitten by a bat or comes into contact with its saliva or brain tissue.
A person wakes up and finds a bat in the room.
A bat is in a room with a child who may not be able to recognize or report contact with the bat.
A bat is in a room with someone who may not be able to recognize or report that they may have been exposed because of cognitive or developmental disability, intoxication, or another circumstance.
If you or someone in your household may have been exposed to a bat, do not release the bat if it can be safely captured. The bat should be safely collected and the health department consulted to determine whether it should be tested for rabies.
Testing the bat can help determine whether rabies post-exposure treatment may be necessary. In Muskegon County, call Public Health at 231-724-1228 or email publichealth.cd@co.muskegon.mi.us for a consultation.
Instructions for safely capturing a bat are available from the CDC, the Humane Society, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
