How this headline may connect to industries in Michigan. Technical scores are below — click any ? for what a metric means.
Rabies-positive bat confirmed in Kent County; health officials urge caution
MichiganGDELTGDELT event0% biasedThu, May 28, 2026, 12:00 AM
0 of 21 sentences classified as biased · Model: roberta-anno-lexical-ft-v1
Rabies-positive bat confirmed in Kent County; health officials urge caution.Rabies-positive bat confirmed in Kent County; health officials urge caution Kent County confirmed the first rabies-positive bat found in the county this year on Thursday.The Kent County Health Department (KCHD) are urging residents to take precautions against rabies, a deadly but preventable disease that can spread to people and pets through the bite or scratch of an infected animal, KCHD said.Kent County residents are urged to take the following steps if a bat enters their home: - Safely capture the bat for potential testing.Wearing thick gloves, long sleeves, and pants, use a container and piece of cardboard to secure the bat in a cool, quite place.- Call the KCHD at 616-632-7228 for a risk assessment to determine if the bat should be tested.Testing is only done if KCHD staff identifies a potential human risk.- If approved, bring the bat to the KCAS for testing.Bats arriving before 2:30 p.m.are typically sent for testing that same afternoon with results usually available by the next business day.Bats arriving after 2:30 p.m.or on Fridays may take an extra business day.- Wait for results.KCHD staff will call with test results and instructions if post-exposure treatment (PEP) is needed.Residents should also take the following proactive measures to reduce the risk of rabies in their homes: - Never touch or handle bats or other wild animals.- Do not keep wild animals as pets or attempt to rehabilitate them yourself, as they can carry rabies without showing signs of illness.- Keep pets' rabies vaccinations up to date.- Secure living spaces to prevent wildlife from entering your home.- Stay aware of potential encounters with bats or other wildlife.According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), there have been 13 rabid animals so far in 2026.More information on rabies, including how to protect yourself and your pets, can be found here.