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POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Animal control officials have confirmed the first case of rabies this year in Polk County.
Officials said a bat tested positive for the deadly virus on March 3.
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According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Animal Control Section, a family dog in the Lake Mirror area of Winter Haven was found with a live bat in its mouth on March 1.
The family contacted Animal Control who then sent the bat to a lab in Tampa for testing.
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First case of rabies in 2022. The Winter Haven family dog had the bat in its mouth. The dog was being vaccinated against rabies.#PCSO #Rage #VaccinateYourAnimals https://t.co/w30iGPw2Pd pic.twitter.com/8SCAdWeEFk
– Polk County Sheriff 🚔 Grady Judd (@PolkCoSheriff) March 3, 2022
Officials say the dog was up to date on his rabies vaccination but will still need to be quarantined to ensure he is not infected.
Polk County had five confirmed rabies cases in 2021 and two in 2020.
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Officials warn residents if a wild mammal is acting aggressively or appears sick to stay away and contact Animal Control immediately.
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