Description and Mission of Program

Bats, rats and mice are animals that can transmit serious diseases to humans.  The mission of this seasonal program is to prevent the spread of disease to humans, as well as to control the population of animal vectors that harbor diseases.

Zoonotic diseases are illnesses that can be transmitted from animals to humans.  Such illnesses include rabies, salmonella, West Nile Virus and Hanta Virus.   The Zoonotic Disease control program's objective is to monitor vector populations for diseases, provide education on prevention of diseases.

Related Health Department Web Links

• Rabies

• Vector Control and Zoonotic Disease

• West Nile Virus

• Mosquito Control District

Related Outside  Websites

• Cowlitz County Humane Society

Washington State Department Websites and Fact sheets

• Hantavirus 

• Psittacosis (Parrot Fever)

• Animals in Public Settings Compendium

• Rabies Fact Sheet

• Rabies Compendium

• Rabies Prevention Guidelines

• Rabies Prevention in Washington State: A Guide for Practitioners, Northwest Center for Public Health Practice 

CDC Websites

• Bats - Rabies

• Hanta Virus

• Healthy Pets, Healthy People  

• Rabies

• Zoonotic Diseases

What services are provided by Health Department professionals for Cowlitz County?  

• Monitoring and reporting animal bites.

• Assurance of proper response to animal information by acting as a liaison between individuals and public agencies.

• Provide information about animal vermin control.

• Education and awareness to prevent exposure to disease from bats, rodents, insects and domestic animals.

What to do when an animal bites you 

If you are bitten by an animal, either wild or domestic, you should immediately seek medical attention.  Then the Health Department must be notified, either through the individual or the provider.  The bite should be reported to both the nursing staff and environmental health staff.  An environmental health specialist will ask you for certain information, which is then recorded in a database.  The Human Society should be contacted, and they may quarantine the animal.  If the animal dies, or is destroyed, Health Department ships the remains to Washington Department of Health lab for analysis.

Bats can carry rabies, a serious infectious viral disease, which is fatal if not treated.  If you are a bitten by a bat, seek medical attention immediately.  Never handle either a live or dead bat, and keep your pets away from them.  If you have a bat that has flown inside your home or building, please contact an Environmental  Health Department professional at 414-5599 for appropriate removal instructions. 

House mice and deer mice can carry a number of serious illnesses that can be transmitted to humans, including hantavirus, tularemia and meningitis.  Avoid bare hand contact with dead mice and breathing in dust that may have rodent fecal matter.  Never approach or handle live mice.  If you are cleaning out a closed up building, wear a face mask and spray dead mice, traps, droppings and other contaminated areas with a bleach and water solution.

   The Deer Mouse is the Primary 

Reservoir for Hanta Virus