HELENA — Lewis and Clark County health officials say a person who had been recreating at Canyon Ferry Lake east of Helena was bitten by a rabid bat this week.
The person is undergoing treatment to prevent them from contracting the virus. Rabies infects the central nervous system ultimately causing brain disease and death.
The health department says so far this year, seven rabid bats have been identified in Montana.
Environmental health specialist Laurel Riek says anyone who has had direct contact with a bat needs to be evaluated for potential exposure to rabies. Direct contact includes being bitten or scratched by a bat, stepping on a bat, having a bat touch your bare skin or getting bat saliva in their eyes, nose or mouth.