Rabid bat in Corrales prompts medical follow-up for exposures

A bat in Corrales tested positive for rabies, and Corrales Animal Services said everyone involved has already been notified and is getting the medical treatment they need. The bat was found Monday, July 1, and officials did not disclose exactly where in town it was discovered.

The case carries immediate public-health risk because rabies is preventable but fatal once symptoms begin. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says post-exposure prophylaxis includes wound care, human rabies immune globulin and a four-dose vaccine series, and it urges immediate medical evaluation after any potential exposure. In practice, that means anyone who touched the bat, may have been bitten or scratched, or believes a bat could have come into contact with a person or pet should move quickly rather than wait for symptoms.

New Mexico health officials list bats, skunks and foxes as the rabies reservoirs in the state, and they advise people not to handle bats. If a bat is found inside a home, local health officials or animal control should be contacted so the animal can be tested and any exposure risk assessed. That guidance matters in a community like Corrales, where homes, yards, irrigation areas and open space bring people and wildlife into close contact.

The broader state picture shows why the response in Sandoval County has to move fast. The New Mexico Department of Health reported 9 confirmed animal rabies cases in 2026 as of its latest update, including bats in Sandoval County and Los Alamos County. New Mexico finished 2025 with 13 confirmed animal rabies cases statewide, 7 of them bats.

For Corrales residents, the case is also a reminder to keep rabies vaccinations current for dogs and cats, especially animals that spend time outdoors or roam near drainage corridors and open spaces. Once a rabid animal is identified, local officials have to trace who may have been exposed, notify households or workers and make sure treatment starts without delay.