Rabid bat found in Seattle near Washington Park Arboretum

A rabid bat was found in Seattle on September 23, 2025 at 1726 Boyer Ave E. This is a residential road near Washington Park Arboretum.

Anyone who might have had contact with this bat (even if not bitten) could be at risk and should seek medical evaluation immediately or call Public Health at 206-296-4774 to determine if rabies preventative treatment is necessary.

Rabies is life-threatening but is treatable if caught early and treated before any symptoms develop.

The bat was first identified on September 23, 2025. A King County resident found a note on their door indicating that two unknown people had given the bat water and alerting the resident to the sick bat. The bat was euthanized by an animal control agency on September 24. Public Health - Seattle & King County tested the bat for rabies and received a positive test on September 25.

Public Health has not been able to identify the two people who provided water to the bat. To date, no other people are known to have been exposed to this bat. If you had any contact with this bat, please call Public Health or seek medical evaluation immediately.

Who is at risk

Any person or animal that touched or had contact with the bat or its saliva could be at risk of getting rabies, which is almost always fatal once symptoms begin. Fortunately, rabies can be prevented if treatment is given before symptoms appear.

"Rabies is treatable if caught before symptoms appear, so identifying anyone who has had contact with the bat as soon as possible is important," said Elysia Gonzales, Medical Epidemiologist at Public Health – Seattle & King County. "Contact includes touching a bat, being bitten, scratched, or any other bare skin contact with a bat or its saliva."

Rabies and pets

If your pet might have been exposed to this bat, contact your veterinarian immediately. Dogs, cats, ferrets, and horses should be current on their rabies vaccine but will need to be revaccinated if they had contact with a bat.

More about rabies

Rabies is dangerous, but treatable if caught early before any symptoms develop:

• If someone has had contact with a bat, treatment can prevent infection. This treatment should be given as soon as possible.
• Rabies is a viral disease of the central nervous system that is almost always fatal once symptoms begin.
• The virus is found in the saliva of an animal with rabies and is usually transmitted by a bite or scratch. Because rabies is a life threatening disease, medical advice must be sought promptly if a bat comes into contact with humans or animals.