Child bitten by rabid bat in Pitcairn prompts health department warning

A bat with rabies bit one child and might have been handled by several others in Pitcairn earlier this week, prompting a warning from the Allegheny County Health Department.

The bat was captured Monday near Second Street at Center Avenue. A resident brought it to the health department for testing, spokesman Chris Togneri said. Before that, however, the bat bit one child and was passed around and handled by several others.

The department determined the bat was positive for rabies on Wednesday. The bitten child was taken to the hospital for rabies treatment, which involves a number of shots that must be given before symptoms appear.

Police and health officials reached out to the parents of the other children who touched the bat to “urge medical treatment.” Togneri said health officials think more children might have handled the bat. Any parent who thinks their child might have been involved is asked to call the health department.

Rabies is transmitted from animals to humans via a bite or scratch, and untreated exposures are very often fatal.

Health officials reminded anyone who is bitten, scratched or exposed to animal saliva to clean the area and seek treatment. Animals that are acting strange or threatening should be reported to local animal control services or the state Game Commission.

The bat is the second animal in Allegheny County to test positive for rabies this year. The first, Togneri said, was a raccoon found in Pittsburgh’s Duquesne Heights neighborhood in January.