Heads Up! Copperas Cove School Finds Dead Bat With Rabies

It's springtime, and I know I've seen more wildlife out and about lately while driving around. Have there been any wild animals in your neighborhood acting strangely? Well, be on the lookout, especially in Copperas Cove, Texas.

A dead bat was found at a Central Texas school and tested positive for rabies. Now area officials are asking everyone to report any wild animal sightings, especially if close contact was made with people or pets.

KWTX is reporting that the bat was found at Taylor Creek Elementary School on 2096 Big Divide Road in Copperas Cove last week. Taylor Creek Elementary is in the Lampasas Independent School District. The animal was sent to Austin for rabies testing at the Texas Department of Health Laboratory, and Copperas Cove Animal Control was notified that the bat was rabies-positive.

Signs of Rabies Infection

Animals that are more likely to be infected with rabies include bats, coyotes, raccoons, skunks, and foxes.

In pets, rabies infection symptoms may include weakness, paralysis, seizures, difficulty breathing or swallowing, abnormal behavior, aggression, and self-mutilation.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), signs of rabies infection in a human may be similar to the flu, with weakness, discomfort, fever, or headache. There also may be prickling or itching at the site of the bite. These symptoms may last for days, then progress to confusion and agitation.

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Who to Contact if You Find a Rabid Animal

Anyone in the area who has or may have come into contact with a bat or other wild animal in the Central Texas area should immediately contact Copperas Cove Animal Control at (254) 547-5584.

They are open 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.

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