Public Health – Seattle & King County said a rabid bat was found on July 15, 2026, on University Way Northeast near the University of Washington campus in Seattle. Anyone who had physical contact with the bat was told to seek medical evaluation immediately, and pet owners were told to contact a veterinarian.
Public Health said the bat was found on the sidewalk on University Way Northeast between NE 41st and NE 42nd streets, near Parrington Lawn. The bat was euthanized by an animal control agency on July 16, and Public Health received a positive rabies test on July 17.
Jocelyn Mullins on contact
Jocelyn Mullins, a public health veterinarian at Public Health – Seattle & King County, said, “Rabies is treatable if caught before symptoms appear, so identifying anyone who has had contact with the bat as soon as possible is important,”
She also said, “Contact includes touching a bat, being bitten or scratched, or having any other bare skin contact with a bat or its saliva.” Public Health said the callers who reported the bat did not have physical contact with it.
Public Health guidance
To date, no other people are known to have been exposed to the bat, but Public Health said anyone with even non-bite physical contact should still seek immediate medical evaluation. People can call Public Health at 206-296-4774.
If a pet may have had contact with the bat, the owner should contact a veterinarian immediately. Public Health said dogs, cats, ferrets and horses should be current on their rabies vaccine but will need to be revaccinated if they had contact with a bat.
University Way Northeast
Public Health also said that if a bat is inside a house and has not come into contact with a person or pets, windows should be opened and the bat allowed to leave. If the bat had direct contact with a person's bare skin or with a pet, or if a person wakes up to a bat in the room where they were sleeping, the bat should be captured and might need to be tested for rabies.
The report leaves one practical question for anyone who was near the area on July 15: how many people may have had unnoticed contact before the bat was euthanized on July 16. For anyone who touched it, the next step is immediate medical evaluation, not waiting for symptoms.
