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Oswego caller guided to capture bat, given county health numbers to avoid rabies referral
Summary
A resident who identified himself as Joe said a respondent named Chris walked him through how to safely capture a bat found in his bedroom and gave county phone numbers, warning that failing to capture the bat could lead to a referral for rabies treatment.
A man who identified himself as Joe described waking to find a bat flying around his bedroom and said a respondent named Chris guided him over the phone on how to safely capture the animal and whom to call. Joe said he left the room with his cat, Pepper, and contacted help after searching online for local resources.
The instructions relayed during the call focused on preserving the bat for testing while protecting household members and pets. "Need to find yourself a clear container? Maybe a Tupperware container with a lid?" Chris asked, according to the recording. Joe said Chris stressed that capturing the bat was important and that, if the bat could not be captured, he would have been referred for rabies treatment. "I don't know what I would have done without their guidance," Joe said.
The respondent provided two telephone numbers for follow-up: a daytime line at (315) 349-3564 and an after-hours line at (315) 341-0086, and urged callers to report indoor bat encounters. The guidance in the call emphasized catching the animal when it can be done safely so public-health authorities can assess rabies risk and advise on whether post-exposure treatment is needed.
The exchange offers practical steps for residents who discover bats indoors: secure people and pets away from the room, if safe to do so trap the bat in a container without direct handling, and contact the county phone numbers provided for next steps. The recording does not include a date for the call; the transcript is a short recorded exchange in which Joe is the caller and Chris is the respondent who provides procedural advice and contact numbers.
For suspected bat exposures, health officials commonly recommend preserving the animal for testing when it can be done safely and seeking public-health guidance on rabies-risk assessment and treatment decisions. In this exchange, the immediate outcome was guidance and contact information rather than a formal on-scene response recorded in the transcript.
