A bat collected from a public swimming pool at Natural Tunnel State Park in Scott County, Virginia last week has tested positive for rabies, according to state health officials.
The animal was recovered July 13 by county health workers but a report from the Virginia Department of Health says swimming in the pool does not pose a risk for infection.
The identification of rabies in the bat was not unexpected given the region's previous history with skunk and bat variant rabies, according to VDH officials, but discovery was enough to alert patrons to notify the county health department in Gate City if they were either bitten by the bat or if they came into contact with the animal's saliva or central nervous system tissue.
VDH recommends the following steps to minimize the risk of contact with an animal with rabies: