June 29, 2009 San Juan Basin Health has received three potential rabies exposure inquiries in the past week. One is from Archuleta County and the other two from La Plata County. The case in Archuleta involves a man who was bitten by a bat while moving it from the middle of a road. He is currently receiving a course of rabies shots as preventative treatment. As the bat was not available for testing, there was no way to determine if the bat was rabid. Therefore, the recommended action is to receive the six shots. Treatment is most effective when administered soon after infection. Without vaccination to prevent its onset, rabies is always fatal.
Summer brings an increased amount of time enjoying the outside along with increased risk of contact with bats - the primary carrier of the rabies virus
