The Polk County Sheriff’s Office Animal Control Section confirmed the second positive rabies case in Polk County for 2018 on Friday.
On July 8, a Winter Haven man found a bat at his home on River Lake Road.
He took the animal to a bat rehab center in Hillsborough County, where it bit an employee.
The bat was sent to the state lab for rabies testing and on Thursday, the Florida Department of Health notified Animal Control that the bat tested positive for rabies.
The first case of rabies this year in Polk was confirmed May 31 in Lakeland.
Residents are reminded that bats are among the mammals considered to be a high risk species, or rabies vector species.
Do not approach any animal which is acting unusual or in a suspicious manner.
If you think you or your pet has had an exposure to rabies, contact the PCSO Animal Control Section at 863-577-1762.
