KERR COUNTY, Texas – Kerr County officials have confirmed the first positive case of rabies this year in a bat and a potential “untestable” second case, according to a news release.
On Thursday, March 27, the city was notified the infected bat came into contact with a family dog on Four Bear Trails south of Kerrville, according to Kerr County Animal Services Director Reagan Givens.
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“We dispatched an animal control officer, who collected the bat and sent it to the zoological lab for testing. We received confirmation the following morning, Friday, March 28, that it was positive for rabies,” Givens said in the news release.
Texas law requires that if a cat or dog is bitten or makes contact with an animal known to be infected with rabies, then the animal must be humanely euthanized.
However, protocols are in place should a pet owner be unwilling to do that, Givens said.
In this case, the pet was vaccinated against rabies, and the owner was advised to get the animal revaccinated and isolated for upward of 45 days.
“The law may seem drastic, but rabies is a horrible, deadly, viral disease that can spread animal-to-animal and animal-to-human,” Givens said. “As the county’s rabies authority, Kerr County Animal Services encourages everyone to make sure their family pets are current on their rabies vaccinations.”
A Kerr County court order requires all pet owners to have their dogs or cats vaccinated against rabies by the time the animal reaches four months old, Givens said.
Untestable case
Kerr County reported a second case last week involving a dead bat located at a home in the western part of the county.
The bat had reportedly been lying by the family pets’ bed for several days, the post said. A Kerr County Animal Services officer collected the bat on March 24. It was sent for testing on March 26.
Givens said the bat was “too decomposed for accurate testing.”
“Texas law is designed so that we all err on the side of caution, so any ‘untestable’ sample must be considered positive for all practical purposes,” Givens said.
Kerr County reported 16 cases of rabies in 2024, according to the release.
