Warning issued after 2 rabid bats found on sidewalk in Auburn

AUBURN, Wash. -- Two bats found on a sidewalk in Auburn on Monday morning have tested positive for rabies, and health officials on Thursday urged anyone who had contact with the bats to seek medical evaluation immediately.

"Auburn Animal Control services were notified the morning of August 13 of two bats (1 dead, the other appeared sick) on the sidewalk near the corner of B Street NE and 3rd Street NE in Auburn,"  Public Health-Seattle & King County said. "The bats tested positive for rabies at the Washington State Public Health Laboratory on August 15."

The health department said the bats might have been on the sidewalk last Sunday night, "so they could have come in contact with people or pets walking on the sidewalk on August 12," the department said.

The health department urged anyone who might have had contact with these bats near the corner of B Street NE and 3rd Street NE in Auburn to contact Public Health or seek medical evaluation immediately to determine if rabies preventative treatment is necessary.

"Rabies can be life-threatening, but is treatable if caught early before any symptoms develop," the department said.