MOUNT VENON — Knox County Health Commissioner Julie Miller told Mount Vernon City Council that a second bat has tested positive for rabies in the county.
“If two bats were positive, there has to be more,” Miller said in a regular visit to council.
The health department has helped four county residents look into rabies vaccination, she said. Two received the full series of vaccination which costs $3,500.
Residents don’t necessarily have to be bitten by a bat to be exposed. Rabies can be transmitted through saliva, she said, which can be deposited on a person’s skin if a bat grazes by.
Anyone with questions concerning bats and rabies is encouraged to call the health department at 392-2200.
Miller also explained a committee is reviewing the community health assessment and is developing an improvement plan focuses on obesity for all ages, mental health and addiction. Prevention and recovery efforts will be part of the improvement plan.
Contact Samantha Scoles
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