FACTS ABOUT BATS
Bats do not indiscriminately attack people nor are they particularly attracted to ladies hair.
Some bats have the habit of settling in or on occupied housings. They produce large amounts of urine and droppings which may result in odor and damage to wooden surfaces but fortunately they do not chew insulation, electrical wires, or structural elements.
Young bats squeak incessantly if the females are away.
Ectoparasites that live on bats try to bite people only when there are no bats to feed on.
In British Columbia, the only species that carries rabies is bats. The percentage of bats that are infected is very low in B.C.
RISKS INVOLVED:
Some bats with rabies have been found throughout B.C. You should suspect any bat of being a potential source of rabies, even if the risk is very low.
Although B.C. has had 2 cases of human rabies in twenty years, over 200 people a year are treated for suspected exposure to the virus. All bat-associated bites, scratches and physical exposures are considered dangerous.
It is rare in British Columbia to catch the rabies virus through bites from other animals, but it is always safer to consider that a pet or other animal behaving strangely may have rabies.
Animals with rabies often act very strangely: they may attack humans without reason. Some examples of rabies symptoms in animals include paralysis, especially of the hind limbs and throat muscles. Some mammals may become aggressive. Rabid bats may appear normal except for a gradual weakness and loss of flying ability.
IN CASE OF WOUND CAUSED BY A BAT:
According to the BC Centre for Disease Control:
Wash the area affected with soap and warm water for a minimum of 5 minutes to minimize the risk of infection
Consult a physician immediately in order to prevent rabies, don't wait for symptoms to appear as they take between 3 to 8 weeks, it would be then too late for the treatment to be effective
TREATMENT:
Both the Public Health Agency of Canada and the BC Centre for Disease Control recommend those two steps:
One dose of rabies immune globulin is injected to neutralize the virus before it gets established; then, five doses of rabies vaccine are injected over the following 28 days to help the immune system to generate antibodies against the virus.
The only sure way to know if the animal that has bitten you had rabies is to examine its brain (in case of a dead animal) or if it is a pet: medical authorities will quarantine the pet in order to watch for symptoms.
SOME SOLUTIONS:
Vaccinate your pet (dog, cat, ferret) against rabies and keep their immunizations up to date.
Never touch bats (either dead or alive), rabies can transmit through saliva directly in a wound as well as through biting.
If you find a dead bat away from habitations: leave it where it is.
If you find a dead bat in your yard or near habitations: make sure there have been no human contacts and then bury it or double bag it in the garbage can (unless forbidden by by-law), wear disposable gloves, use a shovel or a stick to pick up the bat and wash your hands afterward.
If you find a bat in the house, make sure nobody has been bitten without knowing it. In case of doubt, because bites can be very hard to find, contact your doctor immediately. You can then close all the doors leading to the rest of the house and leave a window open so the bat gets a chance to fly away. If it doesn't fly away: wear leather gloves, take an empty container and when the bats land approach it slowly and cover it with the empty container, then slide a cardboard underneath and release it outdoors.
Do not allow bats to live in or near habitations, schools do not hesitate to get professional bat control advice (professionals are listed under "Pest Control" in the phone book).
You may want to contact the Wildlife Branch of your local Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection in case of dead bats or wild animals, so they can have a biologist to examine it for diseases.
When traveling for an extended period of time (a month or more) in an area where rabies is commonly found in wildlife, you should get vaccinated before hand, as in some countries it might be difficult to get a vaccine.
