Utah annual rabies surveillance report

2021


Summary

In 2021, a total of 18 bats and 1 fox tested positive for rabies virus in Utah. These positive animals resulted in 12 Utahns and 12 Utah pets with a confirmed exposure to rabies.

Of the 168 bats tested for rabies in Utah, 11% were positive. Positive bats were identified in Beaver (1), Cache (4), Davis (2), Morgan (1), Salt Lake (4), Sevier (1), Summit (1), Utah (3), and Washington (1) counties. The species of these 18 positive bats were: Mexican free-tailed (6, 33%), Myotis (6, 33%), Big brown (2, 11%), Silver-haired (2, 11%), Hoary (1, 6%), and Western pipistrelle (1, 6%). The positive fox was found in Washington county. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the fox specimen had the Western pipistrelle bat variant.

In 2021, 313 animals were submitted to the Utah Public Health Laboratory (UPHL) for rabies testing. The number of each animal species tested for rabies is listed below. The percentage of the total tests for each species is indicated in parentheses.

  • 168 bats (54%)
  • 61 dogs (19%)
  • 48 cats (15%)
  • 11 raccoons (4%)
  • 6 skunks (2%)
  • 2 foxes (1%)
  • 17 other species (5%)
    • These species included coyote (2), mink (2), squirrel (2), bobcat (1), cougar (1), dog/wolf hybrid (1), ferret (1), mountain lion (1), rabbit (1), rat (1), ringtail (1), and unknown (3).

Background: Rabies is a preventable viral disease of mammals most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. In Utah, all rabies testing for animals is performed at the UPHL. Animals believed to be a risk for rabies transmission are prioritized for testing. Nearly all of those have potentially exposed a human or domestic animal. Rabies is primarily found in bats in Utah. In each of the past five years (2016-2021), an average of 16 bats tested positive for rabies. Before the positive foxes in 2020 and 2021, the last non-bat rabid animal identified through testing was a skunk in 2014 and, before that, a fox in 2006. All 4 of these terrestrial mammals were infected with a bat variant of rabies virus. Because human rabies is nearly always fatal, it is critical to report all possible rabies exposures to public health to ensure life-saving postexposure prophylaxis is provided when necessary.


Rabid bat counts by county, Utah, 2021


Total number of bats tested by county, Utah, 2021


Rabid bat counts by month

NOTE: Rabies surveillance occurs year-round. The months presented here are the only months with positive samples.
2021
Health district June July August September October Total
Bear River 0 2 0 1 1 4
Central 1 0 0 0 0 1
Davis 0 0 0 2 0 2
Salt Lake 2 0 0 1 1 4
San Juan 0 0 0 0 0 0
Southeast 0 0 0 0 0 0
Southwest 0 0 1 1 0 2
Summit 1 0 0 0 0 1
Tooele 0 0 0 0 0 0
TriCounty 0 0 0 0 0 0
Utah County 0 1 0 0 2 3
Wasatch 0 0 0 0 0 0
Weber Morgan 0 1 0 0 0 1
Total 4 4 1 5 4 18
Note:
Number of bat samples submitted for testing by health districts are as follows: Bear River = 28; Central = 5; Davis = 23; Salt Lake = 33, San Juan = 0; Southeast = 2; Southwest = 18; Summit = 7; Tooele = 0; TriCounty = 1; Utah = 24; Wasatch = 4; Weber Morgan = 10. Eleven bats were submitted for testing without county or local health jurisdiction information. Two bats were submitted for testing following exposures which occurred out of state.

Rabid bat counts by species and health district

2021: Bat species
Health district Big brown Hoary Mexican free-tailed Myotis Silver haired Western pipistrelle Total
Bear River 1 1 0 2 0 0 4
Central 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
Davis 0 0 0 1 1 0 2
Salt Lake 0 0 3 0 1 0 4
San Juan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Southeast 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Southwest 1 0 0 0 0 1 2
Summit 0 0 0 1 0 0 1
Tooele 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
TriCounty 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Utah County 0 0 2 1 0 0 3
Wasatch 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Weber Morgan 0 0 0 1 0 0 1
Total 2 1 6 6 2 1 18

Monthly number of rabies positive and negative bat specimens, Utah, 2021


Yearly number of rabies positive and negative bat specimens and positivity among tested bats, Utah, 2010-2020