NORWICH — Chenango County Public Health is warning residents after a bat found along County Road 29 in the Town of Norwich tested positive for rabies last week.

The bat was found between Follett Hill Road and Mudge King Road and was tested Oct. 6 by New York State Wadsworth Laboratories.

County health officials are advising residents not to pick up or handle stray or wild animals and to avoid approaching, feeding or touching wildlife. Pets and livestock should be kept current on their rabies vaccinations.

According to the health department, rabies is a deadly viral disease that attacks the central nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord. Infected animals can transmit the virus to people and other animals through saliva, most commonly through a bite. Rabies can also be transmitted when saliva from an infected animal comes in contact with an open cut or a person's eyes, nose or mouth. Once symptoms appear, rabies is nearly always fatal.

Bats are a common source of potential rabies exposure. Skunks, raccoons, foxes, woodchucks, cats and dogs can also carry the virus.

Because bat teeth are small, a person may not always realize they have been bitten. Chenango County Public Health advises anyone who wakes up with a bat in a bedroom to seek medical care.

If a bat is found indoors where an exposure may have occurred, health officials advise residents not to release or throw away the bat because it may need to be tested for rabies. Residents can contain the bat in a room by closing windows and room and closet doors and should contact the county health department for guidance on safely capturing it.

Chenango County provides post-exposure rabies treatment, when ordered by a physician, for county residents exposed to animals that test positive for rabies or following other exposures determined to present a risk.

Anyone bitten or scratched by a wild animal should immediately wash the wound thoroughly with soap and running water and seek medical attention. If possible, the animal should be captured so it can be tested, while taking precautions to avoid additional bites or damage to the animal's head.

If necessary, a dead animal that may need testing can be kept on ice and double-bagged in plastic until health officials provide further instructions. Gloves should be worn when handling the animal.

People bitten by a pet dog or cat should also wash the wound immediately, seek medical attention and contact the county health department. When possible, they should obtain the pet owner's name, address and telephone number and provide health officials with a description of the animal and information about how the bite occurred.

Residents should stay away from wild animals and keep children and pets away from them. If a wild animal is on a property but is not threatening people or pets, health officials recommend allowing it to leave on its own.

If a pet fights with or otherwise has contact with an animal that may have rabies, owners are advised to wear gloves when handling the pet because saliva from the other animal may be on its fur. The pet should be isolated from people and other animals while the owner contacts the county health department and a veterinarian.

Vaccinated pets that have been exposed may need a rabies booster. Exposure involving an unvaccinated animal requires quarantine.

Health officials also recommend reducing opportunities for wildlife to enter homes. Gaps in a house about the width of a pencil or larger should be closed to help prevent bats from entering, with professional assistance used when necessary for bat-proofing a home.

Other precautions include teaching children not to approach unfamiliar animals, feeding pets indoors, limiting the use of pet doors and keeping garbage cans tightly covered. Residents should not try to pet, feed or adopt wild animals or stray cats or dogs and should not attempt to separate fighting animals.

The county also reminds pet owners that vaccination is an important protection against rabies. Chenango County provides rabies vaccination clinics for cats, dogs and ferrets throughout the year. Information is available at ny-chenangocounty.civicplus.com/312/Rabies.

Chenango County also provides a “Catch the Bat” instructional video explaining how to safely capture a bat for testing. The video is available at chenangocountyny.gov/DocumentCenter/View/307/Catch-the-Bat-WMV.

Animals behaving strangely or aggressively can be reported to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation at 607-371-7268 or Chenango County Public Health at 607-337-1673.

People with questions about a possible rabies exposure can contact the Chenango County Department of Health at 607-337-1660.

Additional rabies information is available at health.ny.gov, ny-chenangocounty.civicplus.com/312/Rabies and cdc.gov/rabies.