Bats and rabies
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A dead bat found by a school nurse was brought to an elementary school and shown to students, allowing them to touch it. The bat later tested positive for rabies, exposing over 100 people. The school had to pay $70,000 for rabies shots. Bats can carry rabies but are also beneficial for pollinating plants and eating insects. If a bat is found in a home, one should assume a bite occurred and seek medical advice, as bat bites are small and not always noticeable.
Bats and rabies
- 1. Bats and Rabies: Truth and Fiction
- 2. Bat Questions??? Are Bats Dangerous? Do all Bats have Rabies? Will a Bat Hurt Me? Where do Bats Live? What If A Bat is in my House?
- 3. Dead Bat At Montana County School Prompts Rabies Shots For 90 Elementary School Children • Mother (professional nurse) found a dead bat in cat's mouth. • Brought the bat to school and gave presentations on the bat in five classrooms, allowing students to touch the bat. • Some kids put their fingers in the bat's mouth. • Stopped by a soccer field to show the bat to people. • 110 people exposed.
- 4. Montana County School • The school sent out notices to parents (due to school nurse). • Bat tested positive for rabies • Stevensville School officials used liability insurance to pay for the rabies shots ($70,000 out of $150,000). • Later the insurance company agreed to cover additional costs and assume responsibility if law suits are filed by parents.
- 5. Montana County School • The health department recommended treatment for 105 people of the 110 exposed. • 74 were vaccinated and 31 declined the shots. • Two more children were exposed outside the school, both declined shots. • After the incident, school officials instituted a policy of requiring all visitors to the school to have a visitor pass.
- 6. Are bat dangerous? Bats, like all wild animals, should not be handled by humans. This, however, does not mean that they are dangerous. Bats are very beneficial to man. They are planters of seeds and enemies to harmful insects.
- 7. What do bats eat? Some bats only eat fruit. These bats are valuable because they pollinate plants and are responsible for many new plants. Many plant eating bats have leaf noses. Some bats eat insects. These bats are valuable because they eliminate millions of harmful insects. Insects eating bats usually have very long ears. They use echolocation (built in radar) to find their prey.
- 8. Includes ALL rabies cases not just bats.
- 9. Rabies in the U.S. Every year, it is estimated that 40,000 persons receive a rabies prevention treatment called post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) due to a potential exposure to rabies. More than 90% of all animal rabies cases reported to CDC each year occur in wild animals. The main animals that get rabies include raccoons, skunks, foxes and bats. However, most people are exposed to rabies due to close contact with domestic animals, such as cats or dogs.
- 10. Rabies in Cats on the Rise According to new CDC data, the number of reported rabies cases among cats in 2008 increased by approximately 12% from the previous year. In addition, cat owners might not be as likely to visit a veterinarian’s office, where they can receive shots that can keep their cat safe from rabies. Data from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) indicates that more than 36 percent of U.S. cat-owning households did not visit a veterinarian in 2006. This is more than double the percentage of dog-owning households that did not visit a veterinarian.
- 12. Bats Roost In Buildings and Manmade Structures…
- 13. Roost Selection… • Bats are opportunistic…they select roosting sites that can vary on a daily and/or seasonal basis… •Day Time–Dark, protected niches for sleeping •Night Time–Warm, draft‐free hangouts near food sources and water •Migratory –They find temporary shelters during migration.
- 14. Assessing Buildings for Bat Use… Bat Guano (droppings), are good indicators for bat locations.
- 16. How Do Bats Get In?
- 19. Before Sealing Begins… •Provide a Safe Exit for Bats •Determine main access points •Install netting, plastic, or tubes that function as one‐ way valves over openings •One‐way valves allow bats to leave but not reenter •Leave valves in place for 5‐7 days (bats may not exit every night) •Avoid exclusions during the maternity season as young may become trapped inside
- 20. In the US, bats are the 2nd most commonly reported wildlife with rabies Vampire Bat
- 21. What if you wake up and find a live bat in your home or bedroom? What should you do?
- 22. You should assume you were bitten and act accordingly (seek medical advice). Bat bites can be very small and not immediately noticeable. Photo of a bat bite on finger. Photo courtesy of CDC.
- 23. Bats are our beneficial! There are many myths about bats, but we need to realize that bats are very beneficial
- 25. The Benefits of Bats Bats reduce the amount of insects and pests that affect farmer’s crops. They are vital in the survival of rainforests by seed dispersal and pollination activities. Studies of bats have contributed to medical advances including the development of navigational aids for the blind.
- 26. 26 This Children's Environmental Health presentation was made possible through a generous grant from: The Dow Chemical Company Foundation Midland, MI
- 27. 27 • Charles Lichon, R.S., M.P.H., Creator of Children’s EH Program. • Angela McIntire, Bat Management Coordinator, Arizona Game & Fish Department. • Dawn H. Gouge, University of Arizona-Department of Entomology. • Marlene Gaither, Environmental Health Program Manager, Coconino County Health Department. • Kandy Schalk: Davenport University Intern, Saginaw, MI • National Environmental Health Association (NEHA.org) for website storage and oversight. NOTE: Permission to use this and all Children’s EH Power Point presentations is granted thru NEHA, however, all grant and credit notices and informational slides must be used during each presentation.
- 28. More information about bats and rabies can be found at: http://www.cdc.gov/rabies/b ats.html Center for Disease Control and Prevention
- 29. 29 Other presentations include: Body Art Careers in Environmental Health Food Safe Issues Household Hazardous Waste Meth & Teens Recreational Water Sun Wise Norovirus & MRSA Contact NEHA.org, Children’s EH for more information
- 30. 30 For more Information about this presentation, contact: (Local Health Dept/Agency Name here)