06/12/2026
🦇 RABIES ALERT: Bat Tests Positive for Rabies in West Chester Township
The Butler County General Health District is notifying residents that a bat collected in West Chester Township has tested positive for rabies following a potential human exposure.
This is the second bat to test positive for rabies in Butler County within the past three weeks. The previous positive bat was identified in the City of Hamilton.
Rabies is a serious viral disease that affects the nervous system of mammals, including humans. Although human rabies cases are rare in the United States, rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms develop. Prompt medical evaluation after a potential exposure can prevent illness.
Protect yourself and your family:
✔ Never touch bats or other wild animals with bare hands.
✔ Teach children to avoid handling wildlife.
✔ Keep dogs, cats, and ferrets up to date on rabies vaccinations.
✔ Contact a healthcare provider immediately if you are bitten, scratched, or have direct contact with a bat.
✔ If a bat is found in a room with a sleeping person, unattended child, or someone unable to reliably report contact, seek guidance from your healthcare provider and our Environmental Health Team.
✔ Safely capture the bat for testing if it can be done without risking exposure.
Remember: Bats infected with rabies do not always show obvious signs of illness. Because rabies cannot be determined by appearance alone, all direct contact with bats should be treated as a potential exposure.
Questions about rabies exposure, bat encounters, or rabies prevention?
📞 Contact our Environmental Health Team at 513-863-1770.
