Seattle Warned After Rabid Bat Found

The Seattle Times reported on September 26, 2025, that a bat found in a residential area near the Washington Park Arboretum tested positive for rabies. [3, 9] According to KIRO 7 News, the bat was discovered on September 23 in the Montlake neighborhood on Boyer Ave E. [3] Public Health – Seattle & King County received the positive test result on September 25 and issued a public alert. [3]

Health officials are attempting to identify two people who reportedly gave water to the sick bat and may have been exposed. [3, 12] Elysia Gonzales, a medical epidemiologist with the public health department, stated that rabies is treatable if caught before symptoms appear, making early identification of anyone who had contact with the bat crucial. [3] Contact includes touching, bites, or scratches. [3] Officials advise that any direct contact between a person's bare skin and a bat could be a risk for rabies exposure. [10] Public Health – Seattle & King County is urging anyone who may have touched the bat to call them at 206-296-4774 for a medical evaluation. [3, 6]