Local residents are being urged to take precautions against rabies in the wake of an incident in which a woman was bitten by a rabid bat in her home.

The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit says a woman was provided post-exposure vaccine for rabies and is recovering well in the aftermath. The incident took place recently at her home, where a bat that had entered the dwelling bit the woman as she slept. The bat was later captured, sent for testing and tested positive for rabies.

The incident, which took place in the Health Unit region (City of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton County and Northumberland County) is a reminder to take care around bats, says Richard Ovcharovich, Environmental Health Manager with the HKPR District Health Unit. “Contact with any wild animal, including bats, should be avoided if at all possible,” he says. “It’s never worth the risk, especially when rabies is involved.”

Saliva

Rabies is transmitted when there is contact with the saliva of an infected animal through a bite, lick or scratch. As in this incident, a post-exposure vaccine is available for humans in the event of contact with a rabid animal. If left untreated, rabies is almost always a fatal disease caused by a virus that affects the central nervous system of warm-blooded animals, including humans.

Bats in the home can be a nuisance and potential hazard to you and your family, Ovcharovich notes. Bats are also capable of transmitting rabies to humans and other animals. Although most animal bites are readily apparent, bites inflicted by bats can be harder to notice, especially if it involves an infant, child or those with cognitive impairments.

When it comes to bats, the Health Unit offers these tips: