Update: Rabid Bat Found Near Henry Clay Boulevard In Lexington

A rabid bat was found inside a home near Henry Clay Boulevard and Carolyn Drive in Lexington, according to the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department’s Division of Environmental Health.

Officials said the home was occupied, but that was wasn’t any physical exposure to the bat.

Signs were put up in the neighborhood to notify people in the area that a rabid bat had been found.

People in the area were urged to keep an eye on their pets, which are usually at more risk of being bit by a bat than a human, according to health department officials.

If a bat is spotted during the day, it most likely would be rabid since it is nocturnal, according to the health department.

Environmental Health Supervisor, Luke Mathis said bats can enter homes through any opening larger than a quarter-inch by a half inch.

So it’s imperative to make sure there are no holes in ceilings or screens.

If you are outside and spot a bat, Mathis said to not touch it, leave it alone.

However, if it’s inside a home he said to shoo it away.

"If you can be positive that the bat wasn’t present when anyone was asleep or around young children, then we suggest wear gloves and shoo it away," said Mathis.

But if the bat is found in the bedroom or with an unattended child, that’s when you should really submit the bat in for testing.

If you discover a dead bat, call the health department at 859-231-9791.