Third rabid bat found in Cumberland County

Another dead bat found near Fayetteville this week is being treated as the seventh case of rabies in Cumberland County, although officials said they cannot confirm that the animal had the virus.

The condition of the carcass prevented the State Health Lab in Raleigh from conducting a rabies test on the bat, which was found Tuesday on Putt Lane in the Cypress Lakes area.

But officials are treating the incident as a case of rabies in the interest of public safety, Cumberland County spokeswoman Sally Shutt said. Two dead bats found in the last month at Melvin Place apartments in Fayetteville tested positive for rabies.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services issued a public health alert Wednesday in response to the cases. The alert cautions residents to take precautions if they find a bat indoors.

Anyone who finds a bat should not release it or try to catch it. They are advised to confine the bat, vacate the premises and call local animal control officers to capture it. People should never handle bats with their bare hands or try to remove bat or bird droppings.

Bat bites sometimes cannot be felt. Anyone who has been exposed to a bat should contact a physician immediately.