CLARK COUNTY — A human rabies exposure occurred in Clark County after someone handled an infected bat.
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The incident marks the first animal in Clark County to test positive for rabies since 2021.
According to Ohio State University wildlife research, bats prefer heavily wooded areas thick with trees.
Once rabies symptoms develop, recovery is almost impossible, making rapid prevention efforts critical.
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Chris Cook, health commissioner for the Clark County Health Department, stated that aggressive prevention and rapid response efforts explain why human rabies cases remain extremely rare.
“The last human rabies case we had in Ohio was in 1970, and you might think man, that’s been a long time. Why is it such a big deal? Well, it’s because of prevention efforts It’s because a rapid response,” Cook said.
The Clark County Health Department sends all animals suspected of rabies exposure to state laboratories for testing.
Cook noted a noticeable increase in local bat submissions compared to previous years.
“We have seen, anecdotally, an increase in the number of bats being identified as possible exposures to humans here in Clark County this year. In fact, we’ve sent 34 bats total to date to the Ohio Department of Health Laboratory for testing to give you some comparison. Last year, all of last year, 15,” Cook said. “We send a lot of animals and bats for testing. Rarely do they come up positive, but we’re prepared to respond very, very quickly.”
In Medway, community members expressed surprise upon learning that someone in their area was exposed to rabies through handling a bat. Tim Bivens, a Medway resident, commented on the rarity of such an encounter.
“What’s the chances of somebody with a bat spittin’ on you, you know? Like one in a million chance,” Bivens said.
Another Medway resident, Elizabeth Hardin, questioned how medical professionals respond to rabies exposures.
“I mean, how would you even treat something like that?” Hardin said.
Health officials emphasize that time is critical when treating potential rabies exposures.
If an exposure occurs, health officials recommend washing the wound site for 15 minutes before seeking medical care.
“We immediately have them wash the area for 15 minutes. And that’s to get any saliva or any potential fluids out of that wound. And then they seek that immediate medical care,” Cook said.
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