Flathead County Confirms 1st Rabies-Positive Bat of 2026 as Summer Bat Activity Rises
Updated
Updated · KPAX News · May 19
Flathead County Confirms 1st Rabies-Positive Bat of 2026 as Summer Bat Activity Rises
3 articles · Updated · KPAX News · May 19
A bat found inside a Flathead County home tested positive for rabies, the county’s first confirmed rabid animal of 2026.
Health officials said the case comes as bat activity increases before summer and warned that only laboratory testing can confirm whether a bat carries rabies.
Any bite, scratch or suspected direct contact should be treated as a potential exposure if the bat cannot be tested, with post-exposure treatment potentially recommended.
Officials urged extra caution when a bat is found with a sleeping person, unattended child or someone unaware of contact, and said captured bats should be refrigerated—not frozen—for testing.
The health department also advised residents to avoid handling wild animals, keep pets’ rabies shots current and seal home entry points after bats leave for the season.
How can we protect our homes from rabies without harming essential local bat populations?
With free testing for bats, what is the potential cost of human rabies treatment?
Are current prevention strategies enough as human and wildlife habitats increasingly overlap?