Reports of rabies in Round Rock bats no reason for panic, says rescue group
ROUND ROCK, Texas - The operators of an Austin rescue and rehab center for bats say people should not panic over a recent report regarding rabies in Central Texas.
On Wednesday, the Round Rock Police Department issued an alert after several bats tested positive for the deadly virus. Currently, there are no reports of anyone in Round Rock or in Williamson County at large getting rabies from a bat bite. This warning by authorities was essentially done to prevent any cases of exposure.
RRPD says that since January, 28 bats have been brought to them and eight have tested positive for rabies. Residents are also advised to make sure there are no openings in their homes where a bat can get in.
An encounter is a real possibility because Round Rock has one of the largest bat colonies in the Austin metro area, reportedly surpassing the colony under the Congress Avenue Bridge.
Dianne Odegard and Lee Mackenzie, who operate the Austin Bat Refuge, told FOX 7 Austin on Thursday that they do not believe an outbreak is underway and explained what they believe is contributing to the recent cases.
"This is a time of year when the bat pups that were born in the summertime are now out there learning how to fly and forage for insects. So, there are more bats generally on the landscape. What is probably happening is that more bats are being tested for rabies because people are finding more bats," said Odegard.
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The proper protocol is to call local Animal Control. Odegard also said they will talk to people who have questions.
"We like people to give us a call so that we can walk them through the possibilities, depending on the circumstances. If someone has been bitten or if a pet has had a possible bite contact, then that absolutely needs to be tested for rabies. In that case, probably calling animal control would be the correct thing to do," said Odegard.
People here in Central Texas love their bats and there are a lot of bat houses in backyards. Odegard said people with those houses should not be concerned.
The Austin Bat Refuge is also offering advice to bat house owners as August is typically the hottest part of summer.
"I think one thing would be really important nowadays is to make sure that the bat box is shaded in the late afternoon. We're getting, many bats seem to be overheating. If a bat box is exposed to the late afternoon sun, and bats can fall out of that box simply because they are overheated and about to have heat stroke. So shade, making sure that box is installed in the right place where it is shaded in the afternoon would be highly beneficial to avoid needless human interaction," said Mackenzie.
Odegard and Mackenze said they see about eight or nine bat species on a regular basis from this area. Some only roost in trees, instead of in caves or under bridges.
To learn more about bats and bat conservation, visit the Austin Bat Refuge, Bat Conservation International, and Merlin Tuttle’s Bat Conservation online.