Rabies: Use caution around bats, other wildlife

Spring and summer mean more outdoor time and more open windows—and more chances for people to come in contact with wildlife, including flying bats.

While many people are aware that raccoons, foxes and unvaccinated dogs and cats may carry rabies, many do not know that bats can also transmit this deadly disease to people. And because bats are small and quiet, and their bites are usually painless, people don’t always realize when they have been bitten.

“A woman in Durham was bitten by a rabid bat in May,” said N.C. Public Health veterinarian Lee Hunter. “Luckily, she saw the bat and was able to safely capture it so it could be tested. Tests showed the bat was rabid. She is now undergoing post-exposure rabies treatment and should be fine.”

“A boy in Texas was not so lucky. In April, a bat flew into his bedroom and woke him up. He did not realize he had been bitten and so did not seek immediate medical treatment. Three weeks later he became ill and was rushed to the hospital, but it was too late to save his life,” Dr. Hunter said.

“While rabies disease can be prevented if a person is treated very soon after they are exposed, once symptoms develop rabies is nearly always fatal. Since there is no known cure, we want to let people know what they can do to protect themselves and their families,” Hunter said.

In recent years, there have only been a few human cases of rabies in the United States and most of those cases were traced to bats. Bat bites can be difficult to detect and may not cause a person to wake from a sound sleep.

So, Dr. Hunter said, do not sleep in a cabin, tent, shelter or lodging facility if bats are present. If you awaken to find a bat in your room, tent or cabin, it should be captured and tested for rabies as quickly as possible, and you should seek medical advice. If the bat cannot be captured, you have to assume you have been exposed and seek medical treatment.

Use care when capturing a bat. Never handle a bat with your bare hands. If you can confine the bat in a closed room where it cannot escape, do that and call your local animal control for help. If you must capture the bat yourself, wear leather work gloves. You will need a small box or metal can, a piece of cardboard and tape. When the bat lands, approach it slowly and place the box or can over it. Slide the cardboard under the container to trap the bat inside. Tape the cardboard securely to the container. Contact your local animal control or health department to get the bat picked up and tested.

If you know you have been bitten, thoroughly wash the wound with lots of soap and water and call a doctor immediately. If you can’t capture the bat, then you must still talk with a doctor about what medical care you might need. If there is a chance you may have been exposed to rabies, or if the animal is caught and it tests positive for rabies, you will need to get a series of shots to prevent the disease. You cannot wait to see if you get sick, because there is no known cure once the disease develops.

Bats benefit people because they eat large quantities of insects, including mosquitoes that transmit West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis. Only about 3 percent of the bats tested in North Carolina are positive for rabies, so most of them pose no risk to humans, but you never know which ones may be infected. So, physical contact with bats must be regarded as a potential rabies exposure.

Other wildlife, like raccoons, skunks and foxes, may also carry rabies. Never touch, pet or feed wild animals, whether they appear to be sick or not. Open containers of food—including pet food—or garbage may attract these animals to your yard or campsite, so keep garbage and food in tightly sealed containers and feed pets indoors. If you are bitten by a wild animal, contact a physician immediately.

Avoid any physical contact with unfamiliar dogs and cats. Pet only animals that you know have been vaccinated against rabies. Make sure your own pets have up-to-date rabies vaccinations, and do not leave your pets outdoors unattended. Do not try to separate animals that are fighting. If your pet comes in contact with an animal that might be rabid, contact your veterinarian. If you are bitten by someone’s pet, get the owners name, address, and telephone number; wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water; and contact your doctor.

“Rabies is a fatal disease,” said Dr. Hunter, “but people can protect themselves and their families by following these common-sense guidelines. And if they do come into contact with a bat—even briefly—or other potentially rabid animal, it is important that they know to see a doctor right away.”

For more information on rabies, see the N.C. Division of Public Health’s rabies website at www.epi.state.nc.us/epi/rabies.html.

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Last Modified: June 2, 2006