Wisconsin girl, 6, bitten by rabid bat while climbing tree; family says she's 'incredibly brave'
A 6-year-old girl in central Wisconsin is undergoing rabies treatment after being bitten by a rabid bat outside her home, a case that has prompted local health officials to renew warnings about avoiding contact with wildlife.
Cecelia Kale was climbing a tree in her family’s front yard in Tigerton, a rural village about 60 miles west of Green Bay, around 8 p.m. on June 23 when the bat latched onto her leg, her mother, Elizabeth Kale, told reporters.
Kale said she was sitting on the front porch when she noticed her daughter had frozen mid-climb. “She was only one branch up, and she was just frozen,” Kale recalled. “I thought she was trying to say ‘It’s a bee!’ ... but nothing was coming out right. That’s when we were like, ‘OK, something’s wrong.’”
Cecelia eventually screamed that a bat was on her leg. Kale, along with the girl’s 11-year-old and 16-year-old brothers, rushed to help. The brothers knocked the bat off their sister and killed it, Kale said.
The family brought the bat to the emergency room along with Cecelia. Within 48 hours, the Shawano-Menominee Counties Health Department confirmed the bat had tested positive for rabies. Cecelia received the first of four rabies vaccine doses.
Rabies is a viral disease that attacks the central nervous system and is nearly always fatal once symptoms appear, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Human cases are rare in the U.S. — fewer than 10 deaths are reported annually — but more than 70% of those are linked to bat exposure, the CDC notes.
Health Officer Nick Mau of the Shawano-Menominee Counties Health Department said the bat was the first confirmed rabies case in the two-county area in 2026. While such cases typically surface through pets or bats found in homes, Mau said it is unusual for a rabid animal to be discovered via a direct human bite.
“Educate children,” Mau advised. “We think a lot of animals are really cute, and they are, but just be mindful of approaching any wild animal. Safety first. Just assume that any animal is going to carry disease, and rabies is one of them.”
For the Kale family, the incident has been a stark reminder of basic precautions. Elizabeth Kale said they now plan to vaccinate their barn cats and are more vigilant about bats on their property. She urged other parents not to hesitate to ask doctors questions if their child has a similar scare.
She described Cecelia as “incredibly brave” despite the painful injections. “She’s handling it really well,” Kale said.
The rabies vaccine, when administered soon after exposure, is nearly 100% effective at preventing the disease, according to the World Health Organization. Although rabies is almost always fatal after symptoms start, a handful of people have survived without vaccination — the first documented case occurred in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, in 2004.
Health officials recommend that anyone bitten or scratched by a bat or other wild animal immediately wash the wound with soap and water and seek medical care. If the animal can be safely contained, it should be held for testing. Pet owners are urged to keep rabies vaccinations up to date and limit contact with wildlife.
Contributing: Emily Vetter and Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Family says 6-year-old bitten by rabid bat outside Wisconsin home