LINCOLNTON, N.C. — Atrium Health Lincoln moved patients and sealed off a portion of its facility last week after discovering bats in a confined area.
State and local health officials are currently working with the hospital to implement safety precautions and monitor the situation.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is assisting with the response in Lincoln County.
While the presence of bats raises concerns about rabies, health officials emphasized that the risk of transmission only exists through direct physical contact with an infected animal.
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Hospital officials took immediate action following the discovery to protect those inside the facility. Atrium Health issued a statement detailing the response.
“Last week, some bats were discovered in a confined area of our facility,” the statement said. “Out of an abundance of caution, we took immediate action by moving patients from the affected area and sealing off the space.”
The NCDHHS Division of Public Health and the Division of Health Service Regulation are both aware of the situation.
State officials are working directly with Lincoln County and hospital leadership to implement public health measures.
Rabies transmission is the primary concern, as human cases in the United States are most often associated with direct contact with bats.
In North Carolina, approximately 3% of bats tested for rabies are found to be positive.
However, health officials noted that transmission only occurs through direct physical contact with an infectious animal.
In the absence of such contact, there is no risk of rabies transmission to humans.
The North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health performs all diagnostic rabies testing in the state.
The laboratory tests about 3,500 animals per year for instances of recognized or possible human exposure.
Testing is typically reserved for situations where the results will influence how a patient is managed by medical professionals.
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