Last week, a wildlife rehabilitator in North Whidbey was bitten by a rabid bat. This is the fourth reported case of bat rabies in the state this year.
Sarah Schmidt, a bat keeper at Happy Valley Bats, has already been vaccinated against rabies and will receive two booster shots. She assures that the rabies vaccine is 100 percent effective when administered on time.
On August 2, Schmidt removed a large brown bat from a home in Whidbey after a resident reported the animal on the neighbor’s lawn. The bat could not fly, and the neighbors carefully placed it in a box without touching it.
When the bat was examined, it was initially “lethargic” and then distraught. Rabid bats, she said, do not attack unless approached or touched. The keeper described the bat as defensive and “snappy,” sickly and underweight. It was unable to swallow mealworms or water. All of these symptoms indicated the bat was infected with rabies, she said.
During an examination, the bat bit Schmidt’s finger through her glove. It was a mild sting, she said, but it could still lead to infection. The bat lasted an unusually long time, which she said was another possible sign of the disease.
The next day, the bat died of the disease and was taken to the Island County Health Department, where it tested positive for rabies, according to the county.
Schmidt said the discovery was no reason to panic.
According to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, fewer than 1% and no more than 4% of bats in a colony are infected with rabies, and only about 6% of bats sent for testing in the United States actually contract the disease.
According to the state Department of Health, rabies attacks are rare, and in recent years only two bats have tested positive for rabies in Island County, one in 2020 and one in 2014.
As long as there is no physical contact with the bat, people are usually fine, Schmidt said. To transmit the disease, bodily fluids must be transferred, which can happen through a bite or by the bat’s saliva getting into an open wound. Being in the same room as a rabid bat and breathing the same air is not enough to become infected, she said.
However, if a person has had contact with a potentially rabid bat (for example, while sleeping) and can’t say for sure they weren’t bitten, it’s always best to get vaccinated after the contact, Schmidt said. Babies, who can’t speak, also wouldn’t be able to say they were bitten, she said.
To test a bat for rabies, it must be dead and the head must be intact so the brain can be examined, Schmidt said. If a bat is not caught after contact, there is no way to determine if it had rabies, so it is best to get vaccinated to prevent infection, she said.
The state Department of Health recommends not touching or handling bats and other wildlife, even if they are dead. It also advises residents to bat-proof their homes and protect themselves and their animals with rabies vaccinations. Ensuring pets have up-to-date vaccinations also helps keep owners safe.
According to the CDC, symptoms can appear weeks or months after infection, depending on the distance from the infection site to the brain, the severity of the infection, the age of the patient, and whether the patient has ever been vaccinated against rabies.
Severe symptoms can include anxiety, insomnia, confusion, agitation, delirium, hallucinations, fear of water, increased salivation and seizures, according to the CDC. If symptoms occur, death is almost certain. Fewer than 20 people have survived clinical rabies, the agency said.
People should call the Island County Health Department at 360-679-7350 and their doctor if they find a bat in their living space or if they believe they, a family member or pet may have been touched, scratched or bitten by a bat. In the event of contact with a bat, the health department also recommends washing the affected area with soap and water.
This story originally appeared in the Whidbey News-Times, a sister publication of the Herald.
