Bats / Rabies & City of Houston testing

TL/DR – What is COH turnaround time for rabies testing of bats from those with experience?

We found a bat flying around our upstairs hallway last night. My husband got the bat out (it did not touch either of us), but we don't know how long it was in the house. Possibly could have flown in when our baby was crawling around on floor earlier that evening, but we just don't know. We don't think it was in my toddler's bedroom at all, but he was asleep at the time.

The City just picked up the bat to test it for rabies and said it is a ten day turnaround time on the test results. Has anyone gone through this with the city and experienced a quicker turnaround? I'm nervous that if it comes back positive for rabies, that is pushing us close to the window to get started on the rabies vaccine rounds. But I don't want to put my baby and toddler through the vaccine rounds unnecessarily. Note that I don't think that they were bitten or scratched, but I would want to get started on the protocol because rabies is a beast of a disease that is easily prevented with the (albeit expensive) shots.

submitted by /u/formercrazycatlady22
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