Close Encounters of the Bat Kind

Bat Interactions Should Be Reported Immediately

By Loni Rahm

Like many of us, Rachel Martin isn’t afraid of bats. She knows the important role bats play in the agricultural eco-system. They are also voracious-appetite consumers of mosquitoes – in fact a single brown bat can eat up to 1,000 mosquitoes in a single hour.

So last week when a little bat fell out of her patio umbrella when she opened it and landed briefly on her arm, she didn’t run screaming down the street. As it turns out, perhaps she should have.

Rachel who is currently pursuing a nursing degree, decided to err on the side of caution about her “bat encounter” and called the health department. Given the fact they have documented a few confirmed rabid bats this year in North Central Washington, it was prudent to put her on a rabies vaccination regimen.

I met with Rachel yesterday, who explained the vaccine process. “It’s not as horrendous as people imagine,” she said. “I got two shots – one is a typical vaccine and the other is an immunity builder to offset potential exposure. That one is a dose based on body weight.”  She will return for three more vaccinations over 2 weeks. Rachel said she wants to reduce some of the fear surrounding the antidote so people aren’t afraid to report potential bat interaction. “There’s sometimes more fear of the solution than the problem,” she stated.

The Chelan Douglas Health District (CDHD) agrees and urges anyone who comes in contact with a bat, dead or alive, to contact them.

I asked Veronica Farias, CDHD Public Information Officer, if bat encounters are on the rise. “Bats are being displaced from their natural habitat due to fires,” she confirmed. Statistically less than 1% of bats are rabid, however, as they move into more populated areas, the likelihood of people seeing bats and coming into contact with them more frequently, will increase proportionately.

Farias stated the importance of calling CDHD if you see a bat in a room where someone has been sleeping, and may be unaware of the presence of a bat, including hard sleepers, someone on medication or an unattended child. And, since bats are nocturnal, any bat that is active during the day should immediately be reported.

Veterinarians have indicated that curious cats and dogs are often the initial contact with a bat – a reminder that all pets must be routinely vaccinated against rabies. Vets report that a high percentage of dog owners keep their pets up to date on vaccines, but many cats are not vaccinated, especially indoor cats.

Rachel plans to use this bat encounter as an educational case study in her nursing program. She respects the important role of bats and, while she indicated she will “shake the umbrella” before opening it in the future, she has not become a “bat-aphobe” as a result of this experience.

For more information, visit the CDHC website. Farias also encourages people to follow their facebook page for current information.