A bat in Portland was confirmed positive for rabies this week after it was tested by the state’s Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory.

It is the fourth confirmed case of rabies in Cumberland County this year, Portland’s public health division said in a statement Wednesday. There were eight confirmed cases in the county last year.

Statewide, there have been 26 confirmed cases of rabies so far in 2025, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in species that included raccoons, bats, foxes and skunks.

There were 61 confirmed cases across the state in 2024.

Maine Medical Center in Portland has struggled in recent years to keep bats out of the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit, which led employees to file a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. No bites have been reported at the hospital and every bat caught has tested negative for rabies, a MaineHealth spokesperson said.

The city’s public health division suggests residents fasten trash can lids tightly, not leave pet food out and contact a local game warden or animal control officer if you see an injured wild animal.

Animal owners were reminded in the statement to work with veterinarians to ensure their pets’ or livestock’s rabies vaccinations are up to date. The division also advises keeping smaller pets indoors and ensuring dogs are under direct supervision in areas where they may encounter other animals.

More information on rabies can be found on the Maine CDC’s website.