Bat in North Texas tests positive for rabies. Here’s where

A bat found in Plano has tested positive for rabies, according to city officials.
The bat was found Sept. 11 in the 1700 block of Throwbridge Lane, the city announced Friday.
While there was no known contact with people or pets, the bat was tested due to concerns about its health. Jamey Cantrell, Plano’s animal services director, said it was found on the ground “screaming” in pain and distress.
Rabies is a preventable viral disease in warm-blooded animals. Humans can contract rabies through bites from infected animals.
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Texas and Plano require animals to receive the rabies vaccine and booster shots.
Cantrell said in a statement the positive test highlights the importance of keeping all vaccinations current — especially rabies — since there is no way to predict when a pet may come into contact with a wild animal.
“The reason why we have such strict laws when it comes to rabies is because once you have symptoms of rabies, there’s not really anything they could do to treat you,” Cantrell said. “You pretty much are going to die … it’s as close to a 100% fatal disease as you can get.”
The Plano Animal Shelter does not routinely test wild animals for rabies unless they have had contact with a person or pet and are a high-risk non-domestic animal, including bats, foxes, skunks, coyotes and raccoons, according to a news release.
Plano encourages anyone who thinks they or their pets may have come into contact with the rabid bat to call the city’s animal services at (972) 769-4360. Cantrell also advises calling animal services whenever a wild animal behaves strangely or erratically.
Cantrell said bats often get into homes at night and can infect a person without them realizing. Symptoms can be hard to identify, but if treated prior to the onset of symptoms, the disease can be prevented.
“That’s what’s really bad about the rabies virus,” Cantrell said. “Symptoms of rabies start off as something similar to a flu-like virus, and so people don’t even notice that’s what it is until it keeps getting worse.”
The disease is rare in humans in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with fewer than 10 deaths reported each year. Still, rabies poses a serious public health threat.