Rabies and Bats

What is rabies?

The CDC notes that rabies is a fatal but preventable viral disease. It can spread to people and pets if they are bitten or scratched by a rabid animal. Most reported cases occur in wild animals such as bats, skunks, and foxes. The virus infects the central nervous system, resulting in disease within the brain and then death. If a person is exposed to rabies, the disease can be prevented with a series of shots before symptoms occur. However, once symptoms occur in an infected human, rabies is almost always fatal. Testing the animal for rabies can determine if treatment is needed for the exposed person.

What should I do if I find a bat inside my home?

Take these three steps:
  1. Leave the room and close the door behind you.
  2. Arrange to have the bat captured and, if an exposure occurred, tested for rabies. Ensuring the bat is tested for rabies can prevent unnecessary treatment for the exposed person.
    1. If you live in a U-M residence hall, call the Plant Operations Call Center at 734-647-2059 for pest removal. 
    2. In off-campus housing, follow recommendations for collection and rabies testing from the Washtenaw County Health Department. If you live in a rental, consider contacting your landlord to request they bring in an animal control expert to capture the bat and have it tested for rabies.
  3. Seek medical advice if an exposure occurred (see below). Call UHS at 734-764-8320 (available 24 hours a day) to determine whether treatment (rabies vaccine) is recommended. Testing the bat for rabies is an important step to prevent unnecessary treatment.
Potential exposures include these situations, even in the absence of an obvious bite or scratch wound:
  • If you wake up and find a bat in your room OR
  • If you see a bat:
    • in the room of an unattended child
    • in the room of a mentally impaired person
    • near an intoxicated person

Why are bats a concern?

  • Bat bites and even droplets of bat saliva may cause rabies in humans if the bat is infected. 
  • Bats bites can be difficult to identify because they may not leave a mark.
  • In Michigan, rabies is found more frequently in bats than in other mammals. 
  • Rabid bats cause most rabies deaths in the US.
  • Note that you cannot get rabies from seeing a bat or touching bat guano (feces), blood or urine, or from touching a bat’s fur. Nonetheless, it is recommended never to handle bats.

Is treatment recommended?

Treatment is recommended if you were bitten by a bat or had a potential exposure to a bite. It is imperative that potentially exposed persons seek treatment promptly. When an individual begins to exhibit signs of disease, rabies is nearly 100% fatal. Testing the bat for rabies as soon as possible is an important way to determine if treatment is needed.

What is the treatment?

Treatment consists of a series of injections of rabies vaccine over two weeks. Also, if you have never received a preventive vaccine, you would receive several shots of rabies immune globulin at your initial visit to provide immediate protection.

Once you start the series of injections, it’s important to complete the series and follow your health care provider’s advice. If you later learn through testing that the bat did not have rabies, your health care provider will advise you to either stop or complete the series, depending on risk.

Why should I take rabies treatment if I am not sure I was exposed?

Rabies is a fatal disease, so the consequences for not getting treatment may be very serious.

How are bats beneficial?

Bats are a key part of a healthy ecosystem. Despite the myths that abound about bats, they are very beneficial creatures. They prey on night-flying insects such as mosquitoes, they help disperse seeds and they pollinate plants. Unfortunately, many species are now endangered.

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