On Friday, Aug. 28, the Harney County Health Department let the community know that a bat collected in rural Harney County had tested positive for rabies, according to the Oregon State Veterinary Laboratory.

The bat was safely collected by a private citizen and veterinary-euthanized after it was observed acting strangely and being pawed at by a feral cat near privately-owned outbuildings.

As of Aug. 31, 2026, there have been over 20 cases for animals testing positive for rabies in Oregon.

Health officials want to remind residents that rabies is a serious but preventable disease that can affect people and animals.

Protect your family and pets

Residents are encouraged to take the following steps to protect themselves, their families, and their animals:

• Keep pets and livestock current on rabies vaccinations;

• Avoid handling bats or other wild animals, especially if they appear sick, injured, or behave unusually;

• Teach children never to touch a bat, even if it appears injured or dead.

Know the risks

Any direct contact with a bat may pose a risk of rabies transmission. Prompt attention after a possible exposure is important.

What to do

• Any direct contact with a bat may pose a risk of rabies transmission. If this occurs, wash the area with soap and water and contact your healthcare provider or public health;

• If a pet has had contact with a bat or other potentially rabid animal, contact your veterinarian.

Overview

Rabies is a fatal but preventable viral disease. It can be spread to people and pets through the bites and scratches of an infected animal. Rabies primarily affects the central nervous system, leading to severe brain disease and death if medical care is not received before symptoms start.

If you may have been exposed to rabies, you should urgently seek medical attention. Medical care following a rabies exposure is called post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). PEP includes wound care, human rabies immune globulin (HRIG), and a series of four or five rabies vaccines, which must be given as soon as possible after an exposure. You must get this care to prevent the disease from developing, and it’s nearly 100% effective if you get it after exposure.

The disease is rare in people in the United States, with fewer than 10 deaths reported each year. But because it’s found in wildlife throughout the country (except for Hawaii), rabies poses a serious public health threat.

Signs and symptoms

After a rabies exposure, the rabies virus must travel to the brain before it can cause symptoms. This time between exposure and the appearance of symptoms is the incubation period, which may last for weeks to months. Once clinical signs of rabies appear, the disease is nearly always fatal.

The first symptoms of rabies may include:

• Flu-like illness including weakness or discomfort, fever, or headache

• Discomfort, prickling, or an itching sensation at the site of the bite

Usually, severe disease appears within 2 weeks of the first symptoms. People are more familiar with the “classic” symptoms of advanced rabies, which include:

• Anxiety

• Confusion

• Agitation

• Hallucinations

• Being very thirsty but panicked by fluids

• Having lots of saliva

• Aggressive behavior like thrashing and biting

Animals that carry rabies

In the United States, more than 90% of reported cases of rabies in animals occur in wildlife. Rabies is found in many wildlife species, which include:

• Bats

• Raccoons

• Skunks

• Foxes

Nearly 3 out of 4 Americans live in a community where animals carry rabies. Contact with infected bats is the leading cause of human rabies deaths in this country; at least 7 out of 10 people who die from rabies in the United States were infected by bats.

Rabies in dogs

Rabid dogs in the U.S. are uncommon because of effective rabies prevention and control programs. Around the world, domestic dogs are responsible for more than 95% of the estimated 70,000 human deaths each year.

Travelers

Since 1990, more than 80 people in the United States have died after being infected with rabies during travel. In Africa, Asia, and specific areas of Central and South America, rabies in dogs is still a major problem. Additionally, access to PEP may be hard to get in those places. As a result, tens of thousands of people die of the disease each year.

When you’re traveling, it is important to keep your distance from wild and unfamiliar animals, including dogs and cats.

Before you travel abroad, consult your doctor, a travel clinic, or your local or state health department to find out your risk rabies exposure.

For more information, visit www.cdc.gov/rabies