A man who dropped off a rabid bat at a local wildlife center could potentially have been exposed to rabies.

According to a press release from the City of Lubbock Health Department the City of Lubbock Animals Services, the man has yet to be identified or located. The groups have released information about his vehicle in the hopes of finding him.

The man who dropped off the rabid bat at the South Plains Wildlife Rehabilitation Center on Oct. 5 at around 7:30 a.m. was driving a white extended cab Chevrolet pickup truck. The truck had a toolbox in the back.

Citizens with any information about who the man is can contact the City of Lubbock Health Department at 806-775-2935 or Lubbock Animal Services at (806) 775-2712.

While rabies in humans is avoidable, treatment for the illness must happen before symptoms appear. If symptoms appear, the disease is nearly always fatal. Rabies is regularly spread through an animal's saliva via bite.

According to the Mayo Clinic, rabies symptoms in human can include the following:

  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Agitation
  • Anxiety
  • Confusion
  • Hyperactivity
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Excessive salivation
  • Fear of water (hydrophobia) because of the difficulty in swallowing
  • Hallucinations
  • Insomnia
  • Partial paralysis

The City of Lubbock offered the following tips for anyone who may have been bitten by wild animals:

  • Quickly and thoroughly wash the bite with soap and water, rinse it well, and put an antiseptic on it to kill germs.
  • Report the bite to animal control so the animal may be placed in rabies observation or submitted for rabies testing.
  • See a doctor as soon as possible so the doctor can decide if vaccinations to prevent rabies are needed.
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