Seal areas around your home that animals may use as a den, such as an attic, crawl space, or areas under your porch or deck. Theoretically, scratches contaminated with saliva or other potentially infectious tissue are also classified as non-bite exposure. It is not always possible to determine that an animal is infected with rabies by simple observation. Rabies in Bats Since 1980, the majority of cases of human rabies diagnosed in the United States have been associated with bat rabies virus. The most frequently found rabid animal in Michigan is the bat.
People normally know when they have been bitten by a bat.
However, bats have small teeth that may not leave easily identifiable marks. Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued recommendations for post-exposure treatment in which there is reasonable probability that contact with a bat could have occurred and rabies cannot be ruled out through prompt testing of the bat. Call your local animal control officer to capture the animal or for advice on how to capture the animal. If professional help is unavailable, use precautions to capture the bat safely wear leather gloves and when the bat lands, approach it slowly. Place a box or coffee can over the bat.