The Mesa County Health Department announced Wednesday that last week three bats tested positive for rabies in the county.

They remind everyone that you should not approach or attempt to handle wildlife. If wildlife does let you approach it, it may well be sick or injured and will be more likely to bite, possibly passing on the disease.

"This is a good time to remind people to keep their pets' rabies vaccinations up to date and take a few simple precautions to avoid pets coming in contact with wildlife," said Penny McCarty, Director of Mesa County Animal Services.

"Having pets vaccinated is the simplest and most effective way to protect pets and family members from this deadly disease," added McCarty.

The County reminds animal owners that their cats and dogs must have documentation that their rabies shots are up to date.

It's important to know that rabies in humans is exceedingly rare, with the last case in Colorado reported in the early 1930s.

If you suspect an animal of carrying rabies, you are asked to quickly contact authorities and avoid being near that animal.

For more information, contact Mesa County Animal Services at 242-4646 or the Mesa County Health Department at 254-4120.