Children Exposed to Potentially Rabid Bat at Riverwalk Park on Schifferstadt Boulevard

Children Exposed to Potentially Rabid Bat at Riverwalk Park on Schifferstadt Boulevard

FREDERICK, Md. - On Monday, August 10th, 2026, the Frederick County Health Department (FCHD) was notified that the rabies test results from a bat that was found at Riverwalk Park located at 1901 Schifferstadt Boulevard, Frederick MD are inconclusive. When this happens, FCHD treats any exposure to the bat as an exposure to the rabies virus out of an abundance of caution. Frederick County Animal Control collected the bat on Thursday, August 6th from the home of a parent who stated her children and other children may have played with the bat at the park.

There is no connection between this bat and the two rabid beavers at Cunningham Falls State Park.

The FCHD recommends that people who may have contact with this bat talk with their health care provider and call FCHD’s Communicable Disease Team at 301-600-3342. If any pets had contact with the bat, consult with your veterinarian and notify the FCHD’s Environmental Health Office at 301-600-1717.

Barry Glotfelty, Director for FCHD’s Environmental Health Services, advises, “Mammals can carry rabies, so it is important to not touch or play with animals you are unfamiliar with.”

Rabies is a viral disease that mainly infects mammals and is spread through the saliva of the infected animal, usually by a bite. Symptoms of rabies in animals may include fear of water, excessive salivation, failure to eat or drink, limping, unusually friendly or aggressive behavior, and/or other atypical behaviors such as nocturnal animals emerging during the daytime. The disease is nearly always fatal to humans if infected and post-exposure treatment is not obtained in a timely manner.
If you or your pets have contact with a stray or wild animal, report it to Animal Control at 301-600-1544.