Bat Bites 15-year-old Boy; Bat Tests Positive for Rabies

HEMET – Public health officials are cautioning the public this week about bats after a 15-year-old Hemet boy was bitten by one.

The boy was bitten late last week when he tried to pick up a downed bat. The bat died soon after the boy’s encounter with it.

Riverside County Animal Services transported the bat to a county laboratory within the Department of Public Health where it was tested. Test results showed that the bat was infected with rabies, a common occurrence in such mammals.

Rabies is a viral disease that affects the central nervous system and the virus is usually passed to humans via the bite of a rabid animal.

“Bats are not usually out during the day,” advised Sharon Fortino, an assistant nurse manager for the Riverside County Department of Public Health who specializes in communicable disease control. “If you see a bat during the day, something is not right with that bat. They’re nocturnal feeders.”

Fortino warned people should not handle bats. If a bat needs to be removed from where it has landed, be very careful, she said. Her advice: use big leather gloves or, even better, tongs or a shovel.

Even the saliva of an infected bat can be harmful if it gets in contact with a break in a person’s skin or comes in contact with mucuous membranes, such as eyes, mouth or nose, Fortino advised.

A great resource for the public is the Centers for Disease Control’s Web site. Click here for specific information about bats and rabies.

Riverside County Animal Services Director Robert Miller said this incident illustrates the importance of rabies vaccinations for dogs and cats.

“Many people now feel so comfortable that rabies is a disease of the past,” Miller said. “And, yes, this country has done a wonderful job in controlling the disease. But we shouldn’t get too lax.”

Added Miller: “This is clearly a very unfortunate incident. Certainly we hope the victim in this case recovers as fast as possible. And certainly this incident gives us the opportunity to remind the public about why it’s critical to vaccinate pets. A curious cat or dog could have easily played with this bat, as animals are likely to do.”

Riverside and San Bernardino counties record a handle of rabies cases each year, primarly in bats. There were nine cases in San Bernardino County in 2007 (eight for Riverside County); San Bernardino County registered 12 rabies cases in bats in 2008 – Riverside County had seven; and through September 2009 both counties have three rabies cases in bats.

Another very helpful tip sheet about rabies is available on the Web from the state of California’s Health and Human Services Agency. Click here for the tip sheet.

Contact:
John Welsh
Public Information Chief
OFFICE: 951-358-7045
MEDIA CALLS: 951-565-7934
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it