County bat had rabies
A second case of bat rabies has been discovered in Shropshire after tests were carried out at a government laboratory.
A second case of bat rabies has been discovered in Shropshire after tests were carried out at a government laboratory.
The bat carcass was sent for routine testing after being found dead at premises in Shropshire. There is no evidence that anybody was injured by the bat.
The tests carried out by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) in Weybridge, Surrey, confirmed the presence of European Bat Lyssavirus type 2 (EBLV-2), a strain of bat rabies.
A spokeswoman for Defra said the Daubenton bat was a different case to the one found in August last year in Stokesay, which had bitten two people.
The people, one from Much Wenlock and the other from Birmingam, both received post-exposure rabies treatment at the time.
EBLV has previously been isolated from seven UK bats since 1996, in Sussex, Lancashire, Surrey, Oxfordshire, and Shropshire. The last case occurred in May 2008.
It is known that there is a low occurrence of EBLV-2 in Daubenton's bats in England. This does not affect the UK's rabies-free animal health status under international guidelines.
The standard advice from the Health Protection Agency is that if anyone is bitten by a bat the wound should be cleaned with soap and water and they should seek medical advice immediately.