Utah Annual Rabies Surveillance Report
2020
Summary
Animals submitted to The Utah Public Health Lab (UPHL) for laboratory testing are categorized by the county of the submitting facility. The only animals that may be submitted for rabies testing are those assessed to be a risk for rabies transmission, and in most cases, have potentially exposed a human or domestic animal.
In 2020, a total of 14 bats and 1 fox tested positive for rabies virus in Utah, which is lower than the five-year average of 20 positive bats. Of the 14 positive bats, four (29%) were Mexican free-tailed bat species, three were Myotis (21%), three were Hoary (21%), two were Western Pipistrelle (14%), and two were Big Brown (14%). The fox specimen was confirmed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to have the Hoary bat variant.
- Of the 267 animals submitted to the UPHL for rabies testing, there were:
- 126 bats
- 58 cats
- 44 dogs
- 23 raccoons
- 7 skunks
- 7 other species
- 126 bats
Background: Rabies is a preventable viral disease of mammals most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. In Utah, bats are the primary source of rabies virus. Until the positive fox in 2020, the last non-bat rabid animal identified through testing was a skunk in 2014, and prior to that, a fox in 2006. Both were also infected with a bat strain of rabies virus. Because human rabies is considered virtually 100% fatal, it is critical to engage public health to evaluate exposure and ensure life-saving postexposure prophylaxis is provided when necessary.
Rabid Bat by County, Utah, 2020
NOTE: Positive bat data points overlaid on the map are randomly generated and do not indicate exact locations in each individual county where the animals were found.
Rabid Bat Counts by Month
| Health District | July | August | September | Jan-Dec Totals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear River | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Central | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Davis | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Salt Lake | 0 | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| San Juan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Southeast | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Southwest | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Summit | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tooele | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TriCounty | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Utah County | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wasatch | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Weber Morgan | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Total | 5 | 4 | 5 | 14 |
| Note: | ||||
| Rabies surveillance occurs during all months of the year. The months presented here are the only months with positive samples. | ||||
| Number of bat samples submitted for testing by health districts are as follows: Bear River = 10; Central = 3; Davis = 29; Salt Lake = 23, San Juan = 0; Southeast = 1; Southwest = 10; Summit = 2; Tooele = 0; TriCounty = 0; Utah = 25; Wasatch = 1; Weber Morgan = 8. Ten bats were submitted for testing where the county or local health jurisdiction was not reported. |
Rabid Bats by Species and County
| Health District | Big brown | Hoary | Mexican free-tailed | Myotis | Silver haired | Western pipistrelle | Unknown | Jan-Dec Totals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear River | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Central | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Davis | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Salt Lake | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| San Juan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Southeast | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Southwest | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Summit | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tooele | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TriCounty | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Utah County | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wasatch | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Weber Morgan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Total | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 14 |
Number of Rabies positive bat specimens, 2020
Rabies positive bat specimens, 2009-2019
