Today I received a phone call from a close friend who said that a bat had flown into her home and asked what her risks were? She wasn't sure if the bat had rabies and or what the risk to her was. After googling the event she told me that that bat saliva exposed to mucous membranes ( eyes mouth nose) could transmit rabies
She went on to say that sometimes bites are occult and are not recognized by the victim and so there is a theoretical chance of transmitting rabies.
Lets drill down on real risks and prudent course of action. Bats are well known to carry rabies
Most sources advise opening doors and windows and leaving the bat a clear path outside the house without any direct contact. Clearly that is prudent
A local epidemiologist in the state communicated that an exposure while awake without direct contact is not considered significant and did not warrant any further intervention or vaccination. The reality is that in the past 10 years only 23 cases of rabies have been reported in the nation and of those eight were contracted outside the United States
That means the likelihood of transmission of disease is essentially zero
For those of you with excessive concern, you should give up driving your car or going out in the rain since you are far more likely to die in a car crash or being struck by lightning then contracting rabies
It certainly makes sense to contact your local animal control officer and state department of public health for current advice but for the most part a bat in the belfry is not an issue for serious concern
Public health advice needs to be based on realistic risks and informed decisions
copyright nicolas argy 2019