WASHINGTON – Loudoun County health officials are trying to reach a group of teen girls who may have been exposed to rabies at a sports complex.

The Loudoun County Health Department received a report that the girls had handled an injured or dead bat Tuesday at the Potomack Lakes Sportsplex adjacent to Algonkian Regional Park in Sterling.

Bats can transmit rabies and the health department says the girls may have been exposed to the virus. The department urges the girls to seek a medical attention and evaluation for rabies prevention medication. Any treatment should begin immediately.

The rabies virus attacks the central nervous system and is deadly to both humans and animals if left untreated, according to the health department.

For more information, the health department can be reached at 703-771-5829.

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