APPLETON, Wis. (WISS) – Public health authorities throughout northeast Wisconsin are advising residents to take precautions and make sure pets and livestock are vaccinated against rabies after a wild bat in Shawano County tested positive for the disease.

The bat was found in the town of Green Valley after it came into contact with a family’s pet.

This is the first wild bat to test positive for rabies in Shawano County since 2023. But this isn’t the first bat in northeast Wisconsin to have rabies this year. In August, a bat tested positive for the disease in Outagamie County. According to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection, there have been 26 total reported positive rabies results in the state in 2025 so far.

Rabies is a fatal but preventable viral disease, most often spread to people and pets through the bite or scratch of an infected animal. With human rabies rare in the U.S., the most recent positive test of rabies in a bat serves as an important reminder of the need to protect both people and pets.

Ways to Prevent Rabies

Ensure all pet dogs, cats, ferrets, and livestock are vaccinated against rabies
Stay away from all wild animals, especially those acting abnormally
Do not keep exotic or wild animals as pets, regardless of how young or cute they may be
Exclude bats from inside living quarters by keeping screens in good repair and closing up any small openings that could allow them to enter.
Teach children not to approach any unfamiliar animals

What to do if bitten or scratched

Promptly cleanse the bite wound with liberal amounts of soap and water
Contact your physician or go to your local emergency room
If the offending animal can be safely captured without further injury, hold the animal until the local health department can be consulted.

The Shawano/Menominee County Health Departments have a video on how to respond to wild animal bites. It can be viewed here.

The Wisconsin DNR also has plenty of information on bats and managing them on your property.

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