Risk of Rabies in Bats
For bat removal and exclusion, call Tri-State Wildlife Management at (859) 635-0037.
If a bat has entered the living space of your home, know the risk of rabies in bats, and how to safeguard your family.
The good of having bats around is outweighed by the bad if they decide to roost in your attic or enter your home. Bats are more likely to enter the living space of your home if they are roosting in your attic. As they are prominent carriers of rabies, this is a problem that should be addressed. If there is any chance at all that a bat bit someone, precautions must be taken. If the bat is caught without damage to its head, it can be tested for rabies.
FOX 19 recently covered a story in which a bat tested positive for rabies in Clermont County, Ohio. The bat was found by a child outside of a home, and thankfully, no one was bitten. “Anytime there is suspected contact, the animal is brought in for testing if it can be captured,” said Clermont County Public Health spokesperson Keith Robinson. It is important to test the bat for rabies if there is any chance at all of a bite, because once rabies symptoms begin, it is fatal. Prompt diagnosis allows for bite victims to receive life-saving shots. It is important to vaccinate pets against rabies, as they are far more likely to contract it from a wild animal, such as a raccoon, bat, etc.
Most humans are not in contact with wild animals that are potentially rabid, so a human vaccine is not common. If a bat happens to enter the living space of your home, the health of your household needs to be taken seriously. Bat bites can go easily undetected. If the bat had potential access to any sleeping person, child, a person with sensory or mental impairment, or anyone under the influence of drugs or alcohol, then the bat should be tested. If the bat is not caught, or if its head is injured beyond testing capability, then rabies shots should be administered in a timely manner, before symptoms can set in.
Unfortunately, rabid wild animals are not so uncommon. Ohio reported 41 rabies cases in 2016, 36 of which were in bats, and 5 in raccoons. More information can be found at www.ccphohio.org.
In order to prevent these unsanitary, unsafe conditions, bat should be permanently removed and excluded. Call Tri-State Wildlife Management today to set up an inspection appointment (859) 635-0037
