If you live on Berkshire Road in Prince George, be advised a rabid bat was found there

PRINCE GEORGE — The Crater Health District is advising folks who live in a north Prince George County neighborhood to monitor their health and that of any pets after a bat seen flying around one residence tested positive for rabies.

According to a CHD statement, a wild brown bat was caught May 12 flying around a house on Berkshire Drive just east of Hopewell. The flying mammal, which weight less than a half-pound, turned out to be rabid.

“Please notify public health officials or animal control immediately if you have animals near Berkshire Drive and feel they may have been exposed to the rabid bat," CHD director Dr. Alton Hart Jr. said in the statement. "The community’s safety is our priority. Make sure your pets are vaccinated, especially against rabies."

CHD offered the following safety guidelines:

• Vaccinate all cats, dogs and ferrets against rabies and keep them up to date.
• Avoid contact with wild animals or stray cats and dogs.
• Do not feed wild animals or stray cats and dogs.
• Report stray animals to your local animal control agency.
• Eliminate outdoor food sources around the home.
• Keep pets confined to your property or walk them on a leash.

If you fear you, your family or pet may have been exposed to the bat, contact the Prince George Health Department at (804) 733-2630 or your local healthcare provider. For more information about rabies, go to the hVirginia Department of Health's or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's web sites.

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Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist and daily news coach for USA TODAY Network's Atlantic Region which includes Virginia. He is based in Petersburg, Virginia. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com.