Bat bites kill 38 in Venezuela

[depakid]

AT LEAST 38 Warao Indians in remote villages in Venezuela have died from what medical experts suspect is an outbreak of rabies spread by bites from vampire bats.

The cause is yet to be confirmed but the symptoms point to rabies, said two researchers from the University of California. Symptoms include fever, body pains, tingling in the feet followed by progressive paralysis, and an extreme fear of water. The bats bite their victims while they sleep. One village lost eight of its 80 inhabitants - all of the victims were children.

Officials will distribute mosquito nets and send a boat to provide treatment in villages on the Orinoco River delta.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/bat-bites-kill-38-in-venezuela/2008/08/09/1218139166821.html
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As much as I like bats, they are indeed vectors for some of the nastiest diseases- just like their prey. Ran a quick search for "bat bites" and found this:

Steamboat Springs — A rabies-infected bat bit a man last week in North Routt County, authorities confirmed Thursday.

The bat entered a residence and bit the man on the finger, said Mike Zopf, director of the Routt County Department of Environmental Health. Zopf did not know the exact location of the incident. The county has not seen any other rabies cases this year, he said.

The bitten man “was coolheaded enough to capture the bat, and the bat was submitted for rabies analysis and found to be positive,” Zopf said. He said privacy laws prohibit him from releasing the man’s name or age.

The man took the bat to a veterinarian, and the county health agency sent it to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment for testing, Zopf said. The state Health Department provided results within 24 hours, he said.

The man who was bitten returned home to Oregon and received treatment there, Zopf said.

“It’s an unfortunate incident, but it’s not terribly uncommon for bats to have rabies,” he said. “But bats are an important part of the ecosystem, and you certainly want to avoid contact with them and do what you can to prevent them from entering your home.”

That prevention can be tricky, because bats are migratory animals, Zopf said. If they appear in a house, the best thing to do is wait until they move on and then seal the points of entry, he said.

More bats have appeared in the area this summer because of increased moisture and mosquitoes, said Al Deeds, who owns Hilltop Wildlife and Pest Control. About 2 percent of bats have been exposed to the rabies virus, he said.

http://www.craigdailypress.com/news/2008/aug/01/rabid_bat_bites_man_north_routt/

[kestrel91316]

1. Bats should NEVER be handled except by a trained professional

who knows the risks and preferably had been vaccinated against rabies.

Oh, BTW: ******THIS IS NOT AN ANTI-BAT POST SO I DO NOT WANT TO HEAR ANY CRAP ABOUT IT BEING THAT*******
Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.


http://www.cdc.gov/rabies/bats.html
Why Should I Learn About Bats and Rabies?
Most of the recent human rabies cases in the United States have been caused by rabies virus from bats. Awareness of the facts about bats and rabies can help people protect themselves, their families, and their pets. This information may also help clear up misunderstandings about bats.

When people think about bats, they often imagine things that are not true. Bats are not blind. They are neither rodents nor birds. They will not suck your blood -- and most do not have rabies. Bats play key roles in ecosystems around the globe, from rain forests to deserts, especially by eating insects, including agricultural pests. The best protection we can offer these unique mammals is to learn more about their habits and recognize the value of living safely with them.


A male red bat rests for the day in a maple tree during fall migration south from Canada. Males are more brightly colored than females.

A hoary bat pauses in a hemlock tree. It is one of America's largest and most strikingly colored bats.
How Can I Tell If A Bat Has Rabies?
Rabies can be confirmed only in a laboratory. However, any bat that is active by day, is found in a place where bats are not usually seen (for example, in a room in your home or on the lawn), or is unable to fly, is far more likely than others to be rabid. Such bats are often the most easily approached. Therefore, it is best never to handle any bat.

What Should I Do If I Come In Contact With A Bat?

Mexican free-tailed bats are easily recognized by their tails, which extend well beyond the tail membrane. Its long, narrow wings are designed for speed and long-distance travel.
If you are bitten by a bat -- or if infectious material (such as saliva) from a bat gets into your eyes, nose, mouth, or a wound -- wash the affected area thoroughly and get medical advice immediately. Whenever possible, the bat should be captured and sent to a laboratory for rabies testing (see: How can I safely capture a bat in my home?).

People usually know when they have been bitten by a bat. However, because bats have small teeth which may leave marks that are not easily seen, there are situations in which you should seek medical advice even in the absence of an obvious bite wound. For example, if you awaken and find a bat in your room, see a bat in the room of an unattended child, or see a bat near a mentally impaired or intoxicated person, seek medical advice and have the bat tested.

People cannot get rabies just from seeing a bat in an attic, in a cave, or at a distance. In addition, people cannot get rabies from having contact with bat guano (feces), blood, or urine, or from touching a bat on its fur (even though bats should never be handled!).

What Should I Do If My Pet Is Exposed To A Bat?
If you think your pet or domestic animal has been bitten by a bat, contact a veterinarian or your health department for assistance immediately and have the bat tested for rabies. Remember to keep vaccinations current for cats, dogs, and other animals.

How Can I Keep Bats Out of My Home?

The big brown bat is found throughout most of the United States and Canada. It feeds principally on beetles.
Some bats live in buildings, and there may be no reason to evict them if there is little chance for contact with people. However, bats should always be prevented from entering rooms of your home. For assistance with"bat-proofing" your home, contact an animal-control or wildlife conservation agency. If you choose to do the "bat-proofing" yourself, here are some suggestions. Carefully examine your home for holes that might allow bats entry into your living quarters. Any openings larger than a quarter-inch by a half-inch should be caulked. Use window screens, chimney caps, and draft-guards beneath doors to attics, fill electrical and plumbing holes with stainless steel wool or caulking, and ensure that all doors to the outside close tightly.

Additional "bat-proofing" can prevent bats from roosting in attics or buildings by covering outside entry points. Observe where the bats exit at dusk and exclude them by loosely hanging clear plastic sheeting or bird netting over these areas. Bats can crawl out and leave, but cannot re-enter. After the bats have been excluded, the openings can be permanently sealed. For more information about "bat-proofing" your home, contact Bat Conservation International.

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This is a terrible tragedy to lose so many people to this preventable disease. In all the years since the development of the newer rabies treatment (27 years, IIRC), there has NEVER been a case of a human getting rabies (and dying) in America where the post-exposure prophylaxis was administered correctly and in a timely manner. It's sad that third world countries don't have the same access to this virtually-100% effective treatment.

[depakid]

2. That's sound advice and applies to flying foxes, too

Back in the early 90's, you could visit game parks in Australia and handle the little guys, until it was discovered that they were the reservoir for an emerging pathogen called Hendra:

Two Redlands workers - veterinarian Ben Cunneen and a senior nurse - yesterday remained "very ill" in Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital after being admitted more than two weeks ago with the disease.

Six horses have died in two unrelated Hendra virus outbreaks at the Redlands clinic and at Proserpine, in the state's north, in the past month. Both sites remain under quarantine.

"The long-term outcome for this business is now something that we will sit down personally with Dr Lovell and see if there is anything we can do to assist."

Ms Bligh said the Government would also consider funding more research into the virus, which is transmitted to horses by fruit bats.

Infectious disease experts say only people who have close contact with infected horses are at risk of contracting it and the virus is not easily transmitted from horse to human. No cases of human-to-human transmission have been recorded.

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,24121817-3102,00.html

[kestrel91316]

3. Yikes, I had forgotten about Hendra. Oh, and there's Nipah, too.

[Howzit]

5. Yes, but "The bats bite their victims while they sleep." No "handling" here N/T

[eppur_se_muova]

4. Oops, I duped in GD. nt