TISBURY – Tisbury public health officials have announced the first confirmed case of rabies on Martha’s Vineyard in 34 years of testing.
Late last month, the Tisbury Board of Health was advised that a “big brown bat” tested positive for rabies at the Massachusetts State Public Health Laboratory.
Rabies is a serious viral disease that can be spread through the saliva of an infected animal by a bite, scratch or if the saliva gets into a person’s eyes, nose or mouth.
The board is reminding members of the community that rabies is 100% preventable if an exposed person receives prompt rabies prophylaxis.
However, it is fatal if treatment is not initiated in a timely manner. Almost all human cases of rabies acquired in the United States since 1990 have been due to a bat strain of the virus.
Any direct contact with a bat should be considered a rabies exposure unless the person can be sure that a bite or scratch did not occur. The teeth and claws of bats are so small that a bite or scratch may leave only a very small mark and the wound may not bleed or hurt.
This means that under certain conditions, a person may not realize that an exposure has occurred.
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