TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Officials say a bat that was found outside Pima County Juvenile Court has tested positive for rabies.
County officials made the announcement Tuesday. The bat was found last week in the parking lot by a court visitor.
No one is believed to have come in contact with the bat, but officials aren't sure how long the animal had been in the area.
Rabies is a fatal disease if it's not treated before symptoms develop. Humans usually get rabies from direct contact such as a bite or scratch from an infected animal.
Early symptoms may include headache, a high temperature, irritability and sometimes itching or pain where the contact occurred.
In Pima County, 13 bats and one skunk have tested positive for rabies so far this year. In 2011, 19 bats and two skunks tested positive.
