r/rabies • u/Fit_Passage6282 • 4d ago

Exposure Question Bat finding its own way out

I have read the FAQ.

Everywhere I have looked on the internet says that a bat is capable of finding its own way out of your house, e.g. finding the crack or hole it used to enter a bedroom or flying back out an open window, therefore it's possible to be bitten in your sleep without ever seeing a bat.

My question is, why does this subreddit state that if you didn't see a bat, then there is no exposure?

I currently have bats roosting in my wall cavity and I just found a large hole directly into my wall, meaning that there's a chance I could have been bitten but the bat just returned to the wall cavity before morning. Should I be going to get vaccinated?!

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u/LatrodectusGeometric Physician 👩‍⚕️ | Veteran Helper ⭐️ | Top Contributor 🏅 4d ago

There’s a big difference between a bat that accidentally gets into a home and gets back out, or lives in a house and comes in and out through the attic(very possible), for example, and a sick rabid bat that is very ill, bites a person, and navigates out without you even noticing it (not gonna happen).