09/04/2026
Rabies is a deadly disease that can affect pets, wildlife, and people. With rabid bats being found in North Idaho, now is an important time to make sure your pets’ rabies vaccinations are current and up to date.
Even pets that spend most of their time indoors can encounter a bat that gets inside your home. Vaccination is one of the simplest and most important ways to protect your pets — and your family.
❤️ Please check your pet’s vaccination records and contact us if you’re unsure whether their rabies vaccine is current.
Twenty-four rabid bats have been detected through testing in Idaho so far this year, more than in each of the past three years, and public health officials are also receiving more reports of possible encounters between bats and people or pets.
Local public health districts are receiving more calls about possible bat exposures. Central District Health, for example, has received more than twice as many calls as it had at the same point last year. The reasons for these increases are unclear. Idaho’s growing population may increase the likelihood of encounters, and wildfire smoke could affect bat movement.
Public health officials are reminding Idahoans to avoid handling bats and to seek guidance promptly when a person or animal may have been exposed. Rabies is a viral disease that affects the nervous system and is nearly always fatal once symptoms develop. Although most bats do not have rabies, bats are the only mammals in Idaho that naturally maintain the rabies virus. Read more by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare at https://9b.news/2026/09/02/idaho-reports-increase-in-rabid-bats-potential-human-exposures/
