08-21-2006, 09:59 PM
More bat trivia: Earlier today I'd left a message with animal control, but the man didn't return my call until after the rescue was done. He still wanted to talk to me and tell me what to do in case I ever find one in the house. Around here, anyone who notices a bat on the wall when they wake up in the morning should call animal control. First, they come out and capture the bat, and then they do a referral to the county health department. Standard procedure is to assume the bat bit a sleeping person. The bites are very small, and many people don't realize they've been bitten unless/until they get sick. The health department arranges for the series of rabies vaccinations.
There was one death of a child a few years ago, after she'd been bitten by a rabid bat. Nobody made a connection until she was already very ill. So far nobody has been able to come up with a reliable way to evaluate how many bats might be infected with rabies, so they assume all are.
More than anybody ever wanted to know, especially me.
There was one death of a child a few years ago, after she'd been bitten by a rabid bat. Nobody made a connection until she was already very ill. So far nobody has been able to come up with a reliable way to evaluate how many bats might be infected with rabies, so they assume all are.
More than anybody ever wanted to know, especially me.