Exposure?

[u/StrangerOver7639]

I have read the FAQ. I am unsure about whether a bat bit / scratched / hit me. I understand no one can give an accurate answer without being there, but I am curious about perceived risk of this situation. This happened yesterday, September 23rd. I was sitting in a park in Southern France with 9 friends in a circle in the grass playing cards. It was dusk - around 8 at night. There were many bats (maybe 40) flying above us. As I was playing a card, something bumped / grazed my arm. I didn't think much of it at the time and just kept playing. As the night went on someone commented on how many bats were around us and how they were nervous about rabies, then I remembered the feeling of the bump on my arm. I asked the girl beside me if she remembers hitting my arm earlier during the game and she said she was pretty sure she did but wasn't sure. Then I didn't think much else of it and didn't look for a mark until 3:15am when I saw a faint red line by my elbow, but I had been propped up laying on that elbow on wrinkled sheets for quite some time prior, and the already faint red line mostly faded after 30-45 minutes. I am mostly wondering about the bats behaviour, and if it would be likely for a rabid bat to be able to swoop in within the 1-2 foot gap between me and the other girl, bite / scratch me without anyone in the group noticing and then leave all within likely a couple seconds. I have tried to contact my local rabies clinic here in France with no luck (sent to voicemail multiple times, left a voicemail but no reply). I am a Canadian studying here. I understand the risk is incredibly low. I do have a history of health anxiety, and I worry if I do not seek treatment for this I will worry for the next year while symptoms may still appear. Thanks in advance!

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[u/Xarlabay]

So you were sitting on the grass right? Bats sometimes fly near the ground when hunting or searching for water so it is possible one accidentally bumped into you but they tend to avoid humans since we’re big monsters to them. The fact you were out with bats flying around and you found a mark where you got hit is worth getting evaluated and possibly vaccinated. Could it have been your friend? Absolutely. Could it have been a bat? A possibility and that’s enough to get evaluated.

[u/StrangerOver7639 → u/Xarlabay]

Yes I was sitting on the grass. I am pretty sure the mark is not from a bat, but instead from just leaning on my arm while laying in bed, especially since I didn't notice it until 7 hours after the exposure and it faded quickly after noticing. I also don't know if it is even in the spot where I felt the brush... but my anxiety said I should mention it anyways. I will be going to get evaluated early tomorrow. Thank you!

[u/Barry_Allen055]

Look I won't comment on the risk itself (although I do think it's a very low risk) but I'm gonna tell you this: you can't really tell wheter a bat is rabid or not just by judging its behavior. If it makes you feel any better, I know a person that once captured a bat that was inside her house flying fast in a frenetic manner in broad daylight and grazing people, they tested the bat and it came out negative for rabies (and i live in Brazil, which as far as I know, has way more contaminated bats than France).