The City of San Marcos is asking anyone who may have come into contact with a live bat found on the ground at Tanger Outlet Malls near the Le Creuset store on Saturday, Aug. 2, to call Animal Services at 512-805-2655 as soon as possible.
The bat was collected and tested positive for rabies.
A caller who reported the bat told Animal Services a group of teenagers came into physical contact with the bat but left before animal protection officers arrived.
Anyone who came into contact with the bat may need post-exposure treatment.
Rabies is a deadly viral disease that affects the nervous system of mammals, including humans, and is primarily transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal, often through bites.
Rabies is almost always fatal.
There have been 14 reported cases of rabies in wildlife and feral cats in Comal County so far this year.
In June, officials with Comal County and the City of New Braunfels urged residents to be cautious with unfamiliar animals.