A sick bat was discovered in the sand at the Madison Park beach earlier this week, prompting the King County Public Health Department to issue a rabies alert this afternoon, after the bat was tested positive for the disease. Rabies is contracted through a bite, but anyone (and any pet) having had contact with the animal should be tested. Information is available on the KCPHD site here. It is critical that testing occur quickly, according to KCPHD spokesman James Apa, since it is possible to successfully treat the disease in the early stages. Once symptoms occur, however, the outlook is "pretty bleak" he told us.
According to the department's press release, "The bat was spotted by a beachgoer in the shade of a tree, at the south end of the beach, on Monday afternoon. A lifeguard reported it to his managers and Public Health."
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