Health Alert: Rabid Bat Found at Upper Buttermilk Falls State Park

Tompkins County Whole Health (TCHW) is reporting that a bat found next to the Lake Treman Trail (Upper Buttermilk Falls State Park, Ithaca, NY) on Sunday, May 31, 2026, was determined to be rabid by the New York State Rabies Laboratory. 

At this time, there have been no reports of human contact with this bat, though the bat was reported to have been tampered with by another animal, most likely a dog. If you, your pets, or someone you know, have had contact with a bat, please call TCWH’s Environmental Health Division (EH) at (607) 274-6688. Staff are on-call to respond to messages received by the answering service, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

Bats can be a carrier of the rabies virus, which is a serious, potentially fatal disease. A small number of rabid bats are confirmed in Tompkins County every year. If a bat is found in your home and it is possible that contact has occurred with any human or pet, it is important to avoid the serious, potentially fatal, risk of rabies by safely capturing the bat and contacting EH: (607)-274-6688. Staff will be able to help you determine if it is necessary to submit the bat for laboratory testing and other next steps. Laboratory testing can rule out the risk of rabies infection and rabies post-exposure treatment for the person who was exposed will not be necessary. 

TCWH reminds everyone to: 

1. Avoid contact with any unfamiliar cats or dogs and any wild animals.
2. All cats, dogs and ferrets must have initial rabies vaccinations administered no later than four months of age.  Keep vaccinations current! Check back to our website for our next round of free rabies vaccination clinics to be held later in the summer. For other free or low-cost rabies vaccine programs, contact the local chapter of the Street Dog Coalition or the Cornell Healthy Pet Clinic held at Ithaca’s Southside Community Center (305 S. Plain St., Ithaca).   
3. Report the following incidents to the Tompkins County Environmental Health at 607 274-6688, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week:
   • All animal bites or scratches.
   • Any human or pet contact with saliva or other potentially infectious material (brain tissue, spinal tissue, or cerebro-spinal fluid) of wild animals or any animal suspected of having rabies.
   • All bat bites, scratches, or any mere skin contact with a bat, or a bat in a room with a child, or sleeping or impaired person, or if you are not sure if contact has occurred.   

^{Tompkins County Whole Health: envisioning a future where every person in Tompkins County can achieve wellness. Find us online at: https://www.tompkinscountyny.gov/health and follow us on Facebook, Instagram or X. Sign up to receive Whole Health updates or other county announcements via email or text.}   

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