Bat Found At Bel Air School Tests Positive For Rabies

BEL AIR, MD — Harford County Health Department officials have confirmed that a bat found at St. Margaret Elementary School Sept. 1 has tested positive for rabies.

The bat was submitted to the state laboratory for testing. The county health department received the positive test results Sept. 2. The school was notified that same day, as were parents, according to health officials.

This year, Harford County started a rabies bait program that covers high case-count areas. The Harford County Health Department is currently placing more than 15,000 baits containing the rabies vaccine across the county. The goal is to immunize thousands of wild raccoons.

The Harford County Health Department Environmental Health Bureau has submitted 217 animals for rabies testing through August 2026, Nassar said, and 21 tested positive. A total of 173 animals were submitted through August of 2025, with 23 positive cases, and 140 were submitted through August of 2024, with 11 positives, Patch reported Thursday.

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