A bat found at a Colorado Springs elementary school is confirmed to have rabies, according to a Tuesday news release from El Paso County Public Health.

The bat, which was found alive March 14 on the grounds at Grant Elementary School near North Academy Boulevard and Austin Bluffs Parkway, is the first animal to test positive for the disease in El Paso County in 2024, officials said. El Paso County Public Health and Colorado Springs School District 11 said that the bat made no known contact with students or staff.

“A staff member found the bat outside the school, and did not touch it,” said Brian Garcia, District 11’s environmental/life safety supervisor.

The animal was confirmed positive for rabies Friday, the release stated.

“Bats naturally live in our region and can be found anywhere in and around our county,” said Bernadette Al

banese, El Paso County Public Health’s co-medical director.

“During the summer months, we typically see more cases of rabies among wildlife, including bats. With the warmer days and folks spending more time outdoors, it’s possible for people or pets to encounter a bat.”

Bats are not typically aggressive, Garcia said. But rabies — a virus that can infect wild animals including raccoons, skunks, foxes and bats — can make an infected animal uncharacteristically aggressive. A healthy wild animal will usually run when it encounters a human, but a sick animal might not, county health officials said.

An important thing to remember if in the presence of a wild animal is to not outwardly panic, Garcia said. Any sudden moves could be seen as aggression, which might make the animal attack in self-defense.

“You can’t always tell if an animal is sick just by looking. The best thing to do is to get away from it.”

Rabies is most often spread by a bite from an infected animal, health officials said. The disease causes swelling and damage to the brain, and can be fatal.

“Remember a few simple steps to prevent being exposed to rabies,” Albanese said. “Do not interact (with) or touch any wild animal, teach children not to interact with wild animals, and make sure pets are on a leash.”