CORVALLIS (AP) — Watch out for rabid bats!

Oregon health officials are warning people to protect themselves and their pets from rabies after finding five rabid bats since the beginning of the year.

Rabies is an infectious viral disease that affects the nervous system and is almost always caused by exposure to a rabid animal, usually through a bite but also through scratches.

It is almost always fatal once symptoms begin. But human rabies is rare in the United States with two to six cases per year.

Animal bites, however, are very common and, as a result, thousands of people receive rabies post-exposure vaccinations each year.

Dr. Emilio DeBess, the state public health veterinarian, says there are two main precautions people can take to avoid being infected by the disease from bats.

“Never handle bats,” DeBess said, “and make sure your cats and dogs are up to date on their rabies vaccines.”

He also said healthy bats generally avoid people and pets.

“Bats that don’t have rabies generally don’t fly into people,” DeBess said. “So if a bat touches you, think about rabies and ask your doctor about vaccination.”

He said rabies is common among bats, which are most active in warm weather.

But DeBess emphasized that bats play an important role in the ecosystem, especially in controlling insects at night.

Oregon bats often eat mosquitoes and can catch over 1,000 tiny insects in an hour.

If a bat is seen during the day, it is likely unhealthy and should be avoided, DeBess said.

Of the sick and dead bats tested in Oregon during the last 10 years, about 9.5 percent have had rabies.

Other animals in Oregon can be infected with rabies from bats, including pets, if they are not vaccinated against the disease.

If a pet is infected, the general recommendation is that it be euthanized.

Nationally, twice as many cats as dogs are reported to have rabies each year, underscoring the need for better vaccination coverage among cats, DeBess said.