BURLINGTON — The Vermont Health Department is urging people to avoid contact with bats they find inside their homes.

Health officials say that every summer they receive numerous calls from people who have found bats inside.

People who find bats inside should call the Vermont Rabies Hotline to determine if exposure to the bat has put someone at risk of rabies or make arrangement to have a bat carcass tested at the health department.

Officials say bats that have bitten or scratched a person should be caught and submitted for rabies testing.