Allegany County is seeing an increase in people having contact with bats inside their homes or camps.

The Allegany County Department of Health would like to remind you, if you find a bat in your home that may have been in contact with a person or pet, please CATCH THE BAT!  DO NOT RELEASE IT!!! 

A child, an older person, someone who is speech impaired, or someone who is sleeping while a bat is in their room may not be able to tell you if they were bitten. When the bat is not available to be tested (it has been destroyed, set free, or thrown away) the recommendation from the New York State Department of Health and the Allegany County Department of Health would be that everyone who was in the room with the bat while sleeping or bitten by the bat have the post-exposure rabies vaccinations.

Things to remember: 

• Watch the video on how to catch a bat on the Allegany County Department of Health (ACDOH) Facebook page or website at alleganyco.gov.
• Children sleep heavily and may not awaken from the presence of a small bat.
• A bat bite can be small and not easily noticed. 
• Bat proof your home, see the ACDOH Facebook page or website at alleganyco.gov
• DO THE MATH.  If you have the bat and it is tested, you and your family will have the results and know for sure if you were exposed. 
• CATCH AND KEEP any bat found inside your home.
• Contact the Allegany County Department of Health- Environmental Health Division at 585-268-9250 and press 2 with questions or for more information.
  • Speak to a Public Health Sanitarian or Technician about whether or not the bat needs to be sent in for testing.  They will ask questions about where and when the bat was found in your home and who had contact or possible contact with the bat.
• Keep your pets current on rabies vaccinations!  The Health Department offers free rabies vaccination clinics. The next clinic is Saturday, September 23, 2023, at the Genesee Valley Central School bus garage from 9:00-Noon. To register, go to the ACDOH Facebook page or website at alleganyco.gov.