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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Boise

Child exposed to rabid bat in Garden Valley

A child who was swimming in a pond in Crouch earlier this week was exposed to a rabid bat that swooped down and scratched him. The boy's father captured the bat, and Idaho Health & Welfare officials confirmed that it was the third rabid bat found in Idaho this year. The first was in Shoshone County in March, and the second in Blaine County in July. The youngster, who was visiting from Oregon and is under age 10, is undergoing medical treatment for rabies exposure.

"It’s unusual for a bat to be active during the daytime," said Dr. Leslie Tengelsen, deputy state epidemiologist. "This is one warning signal that the bat may be carrying rabies.” Last year, eight rabid bats were found in Idaho.



Betsy Z. Russell
Betsy Z. Russell joined The Spokesman-Review in 1991. She currently is a reporter in the Boise Bureau covering Idaho state government and politics, and other news from Idaho's state capital.

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