Washington health officials report first rabies-positive bat of 2021 The Columbian Share: SEATTLE — The Seattle and King County Public Health Department reported the first rabies-positive bat of 2021 on Monday. A Sammamish resident recently had a close call when they found a bat in their yard and attempted to move it with gardening gloves, the Seattle Times reported. “The bat became aggressive and bit the resident multiple times,” the health department said in a news release. The resident alerted the health department and the bat tested positive for rabies, officials said. The person received post-exposure treatment to protect them from developing the disease.