Rabies-Infested Bats
Attack Polk County, Florida …
People, Pets On Edge
Published
September 17, 2026
8:18 AM PDT
|
Updated
September 17, 2026
9:00 AM PDT
Live bats with rabies are flying around a county in Florida … and it’s driving locals and their pets more than a little batty!
TMZ has learned that 6 rabies-infested bats have been haunting residents and their cats and dogs in Polk County since March … and it’s only getting worse.
The most recent interaction occurred this week when a woman saw what she thought was a dead mouse on the ground … but it turned out to be a DEAD BAT!!!
Luckily, no humans have been bitten by the flying rabies carriers … but some animals haven’t been so lucky.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office tells us … several cats and dogs that interacted with the bats ended up bitten and now have rabies.
A sheriff’s spokesperson said all of the infected animals had to be vaccinated and quarantined at their family homes … and PCSD published the above photo in a warning to residents.
The spokesperson also told us the bats’ carcasses were sent to a Tampa facility for rabies testing, before the little fellas were presumably destroyed.
One by one, Polk County is trying to clear up their bat s*** problem.