CANYON CITY A bat found crawling on a Canyon City sidewalk last week in daylight hours has tested positive for rabies.

This is the second rabid bat found in the county in the past month; the last bat was found in southern Grant County where it bit a woman in her home. The woman underwent treatments and was expected to recover.

No one was injured by the bat found in Canyon City the afternoon of June 12, said nurse John Combs, environmental health specialist with the Grant County Health Department.

An additional bat was found during the day in John Day last week, but did not test positive for rabies.

Combs said bats found during the day are more likely to have the disease.

He and State Public Health Veterinarian Dr. Emilio DeBess are urging county residents to heed the following precautions:

Never handle bats. If you find a bat during daylight hours, it is probably not healthy and should be avoided.

Vaccinate your pets (dogs and cats) against rabies.

Watch wildlife from a distance. Dont approach or attempt to handle wild animals.

Do not feed wild animals.

Keep garbage in secure containers and away from wildlife.

Feed pets indoors.

Seal openings in attics, basements, porches, sheds, barns and screen chimneys that might provide access to bats and other wildlife.

Rabies symptoms in wildlife, particularly foxes, include lethargy, walking in circles, loss of muscular coordination, convulsions, irritability or aggressiveness, disorientation, excessive drooling of saliva, and showing no fear of humans. Report this type of behavior to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) hotline at 1-866-968-2600.