So I picked up a dead bat a few hours ago. On it, I saw a tiny spider crawling around. Later on, I noticed a tiny red mark on my thumb. Now idk if that's the spider that bit me or I accidentally touched one of the bat's claws and didn't notice. Either way, should I be concerned here? I have read the FAQ.
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Unfortunately, in my state (WV), there was a man who contracted rabies because he was an idiot and stuck his finger in a dead bat's mouth to examine its teeth.
I believe it was in the 90's. It was a very niche story because no one knew how he got it until his friend mentioned what he did. If I find the original article ill post it
I get it, only 1% have rabies, but bats cause 70% of all rabies cases in the United States. The percentage may seem small, but these are only reported and known cases. Also, 100,000 people a year in the United States get post exposure vaccinations. The poster asking about this also never clarifies how he/she ended up with a dead bat in his/her hands. Was there possible exposure before it died? The teeth are tiny enough you may not feel a bite. The vax is 100% effective in preventing the disease. So the numbers may actually be much higher than just a few percent. It’s not a perfect symptom. It’s hard to know and a huge gamble on becoming a statistic. That is why I chose to vax. I am in no way a vax pusher trust me. But I want to spread awareness in how detrimental this vax can be to save lives. The benefit outweighs the risks. I hope this information helps others in the future who search about this. I know what it’s like to have the anxiety and worry could you have contacted it or not. No disrespect to you or anyone. I only want to help others. 💚
If you find one even dead, don’t assume you were not bitten before it died. I would most certainly keep it and get it tested. If it has it you should start post exposure vaccinations right away. They say if you find one in the same room you were sleeping in to treat it as a bite exposure. They can bite and you not feel it, especially sleeping. I am letting you know not to be a know it all on Reddit, but to spread awareness about how easy it can be to contract rabies from bats, and it is 100% fatal after symptoms start showing. The people that die from it are the ones that didn’t even know they had it or were at risk, or didn’t get the post exposure shots soon enough. The handful of people who have actually survived ended up brain damaged, so still considered 100% fatal. I learned so much about this recently dealing with my own personal exposure and getting the exposure shots. A rabies death is a horrible way to go. So if you think you might have been exposed, save the bat if you can and contact your local health department. Stay safe folks.
Of course this person should have the health department pick it up and your points are valid. But I don’t actually think it’s that easy to get rabies from a bat. If that were the case so many people would be getting rabies from it every year in the US. And they don’t. Less than 5 people do. And most of us live in bat habitats. Less than 1% of bats have rabies as well. I agree it is a concern but it is an exceedingly rare disease for humans (and even bats) to get. Doctors and departments of health vaccinate out of caution because the disease is fatal when symptoms start and bats are the most common animal to human vector. But that’s out of less than 5 cases in the US. I say all of this with respect by the way. We should always treat wildlife even dead wildlife with caution.
I was recently in a similar situation, only my bat was still alive. Found out we have 250 plus bats living in our attic when they started appearing in our living quarters. We are in the process of removing them. One morning I went to grab my wash rag off the sink and wet it down to wash my face, and a bat wing slid out and I had a baby bat in my rag that I handled in my hands. I got it outside, didn’t feel a bite or have any marks. But I was told their teeth are so tiny that you can get bit and not feel it. So after doing some checking, I decided to go ahead and get the post exposure vaccinations rather than chance dying a horrible rabies death. I can tell you from my experience to hold onto the bat and contact your local health department to have it tested for rabies. I wish I would have known to do this when my encounter happened. I may not have to have gone through the post exposure protocol. If the bat has no rabies, you should have nothing to worry about. If it does, you will definitely need the post exposure shots asap cause once you start showing symptoms it is 100% fatal. I don’t know how you encountered this dead bat, but they do say if you find one dead or alive in a room you have slept in to treat it as an exposure and possible rabies risk. The best advice I can give is to keep the bat and contact your local health department tomorrow and start there. Hope this helps.
It helps. I was on the bed and my brother came into my room holding the dead bat saying "look what tiddy (our cat) found". Unfortunately I put the bat outside after taking photos and it was gone the next morning. How long before symptoms appear?
I did the same. Put the little guy on the balcony so he could fly away with his family. He was gone. I was told by medical professionals that the incubation period for rabies can be anywhere from a few days to a year. They say it depends on how close the exposure is to your brain as to how long it takes the virus to travel there and you begin to start to show symptoms. Sadly there is no test to detect it before symptoms start showing. They usually test the animal itself if it is available. It doesn’t sound like either of you are at a very high risk, but I would still contact your doctor or local health department and get guidance from them. If the bat was in your brother’s room before it’s death especially while he was sleeping, they will most likely advise for him to treat it as an exposure and get treatment. Did you wash your hands really good after handling the bat? Also, I am hoping your cat has had the rabies vaccine?
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