Its Bat Season! Its Rabies Season!

We are in bat season again.  Last week a bat from the Duvall/Woodinville area

tested positive for Rabies after the veterinarian and cat owner shipped the bat

to OSU for testing.

Testing bats for Rabies in King County:

Bats that have had contact with humans in King County will be tested at

no charge at the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) Laboratory in

Shoreline. All submissions for rabies testing at the DOH Laboratory must be

pre-approved by discussing the case with an investigator at the Communicable

Disease Epidemiology section, 206-296-4774.

Bats with animal-only contact can be tested for a fee at the Oregon State

University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. Owners of animals that have

been in contact with bats are responsible for shipping the dead bats to the

laboratory for rabies testing, or their veterinarian can assist them.

Bats that have possibly exposed animals can be tested for rabies by mailing

the dead bat to the Oregon State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. 

The laboratory phone number is 541-737-3261.

• Cost of rabies testing: $80 + $5 accession fee = $85 total

REMEMBER: Never touch a bat (dead or alive) with bare hands.

Always use heavy gloves or a shovel.