Sioux Falls bats are being found with rabies. Here's how to protect your pets.
Rabies have been found in three bats this year out of the 29 that have been tested in Sioux Falls, and now city officials are reminding residents to vaccinate their pets.
That amount is higher than a normal year, where one or two bats will test positive for rabies, according to a news release Wednesday from the City of Sioux Falls. Last year, four bats tested positive for rabies in the city.
In 2021, there were nine rabid bats detected within the state, according to the South Dakota Department of Health.
What to do if you find a bat in your home
If the bat has not caused an exposure risk to a person or pet, one of the first things people should do is close the bat in a room and call Animal Control at the non-emergency number 605-367-7000.
Animal Control officers will respond to non-exposure situations during regular working hours from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. If there's a suspected exposure, Animal Control will consider it a priority and respond at any time during the day or night, according to a release.
How Animal Control responds to bat calls
Animal Control has responded to Sioux Falls residents with concerns about bats in their homes more than 135 times this year, according to the news release.
If residents or their pets didn't have contact with the bat, Animal Control officers remove the bats and dispose of them. However, if there was contact between the bat and either a pet or human, bats are sent to a laboratory for rabies testing.
All dogs and cats older than six months that live in Sioux Falls are required to be licensed and vaccinated against rabies. Pet owners are asked to keep records of vaccinations to show Animal Control as rabies can be spread from pets to humans if the the pet develops the disease.
Pets that are exposed to rabies are put on strict quarantines and given a vaccine booster. Humans exposed to rabies should consult their physician and discuss treatment options.
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Rabies found in 3 bats this year, Sioux Falls city officials say
