Do Bats in Florida Carry Rabies? What the State's Numbers Show
The short answer: some do. Florida DOH names raccoons and bats as the main wildlife sources of rabies in the state, and its tables list dozens of rabid bats a year. FWC says only a very small share of bats have it. Never handle a bat, and if one may have touched anyone, call your county health department. Call (844) 264-6254 for bats in the house.
What the state's tables show
2024
- 30
- 49
2025
- 42
- 43
These counts come from Florida DOH's confirmed rabid animals by county, January 1 to December 31 of each year (DOH 2024, DOH 2025). Bats found through surveillance testing aren't in these totals; each table notes them in a footnote. DOH's 2024 state total row lists 30 bats and 49 raccoons; its county rows add up to 29 and 50. In our area, Hillsborough's 2025 table listed four rabid bats among six rabid animals.
Why the numbers aren't the whole picture
Apart from the footnoted surveillance animals, DOH says every animal in these tables potentially exposed people or owned or domestic animals, so they don't show how many bats in Florida carry rabies. FWC puts the share very low: perhaps one among every few hundred bats across Florida's bat populations (FWC). Florida DOH still names bats, with raccoons, as the main wildlife sources, usually spread through bites (Florida DOH).
What the CDC says to do
- Avoid touching bats. The CDC notes bat bites can be tiny, and you may not even know if you were bitten (CDC).
- If you know you were bitten or scratched, wash the wound with soap and water and get medical help right away.
- If you think you've had contact with a bat, talk to your health department.
- If you find a bat in your home, contact animal control or your health department to safely capture it for rabies testing, and don't release the bat until you've talked with a public health expert.
Bats living in the house
A colony in the attic is a reason to keep bats and people apart, not to panic. It's illegal to kill bats in Florida, so FWC points to exclusion, and FWC says exclusion is illegal during maternity season, April 16 to August 14 (FWC). See who to call about a bat, Florida bat laws and bat removal, or call (844) 264-6254.