MANASSAS — Two people are now being treated after exposure to rabies in Manassas.
Dr. Alison Ansher at the Prince William Health District office says they called the office after we reported a group of people who appeared to be in their early 20s was seen handling a bat they picked up from a sidewalk in Downtown Manassas.
Ansher says treatment for the two that have come forward includes using a rabies immune globulin to infiltrate the wound, and then about four doses of rabies vaccine to the arm.
The treatment can take up to two weeks, and it’s important to being as soon as possible following exposure.
The contact with the bat occurred outside Calico Jacks, a retail store in Downtown Manassas on July 6. Health officials said anyone who may have come in contact with the bat to call the Prince William Health District at 703-792-6300.
Rabid bat cases are rare in the U.S., according to the CDC. A total of 13 cases of rabies was reported in Prince William County in 2018. Just one was attired to a bat while the others were attributed to a fox, skunk, and raccoons.
Statewide, a total of 364 cases of rabies were reported, with 21 of them being attributed to bats, according to Virginia Health Department information.
