With fall approaching, a Kansas State University veterinarian says homeowners and pet owners need to be cautious of bats, which are a leading transmitter of rabies.
“Bats are more active this time of year, which means there is an increased chance of exposure to them,” said Susan Nelson, clinical professor and veterinarian at the Kansas State University Veterinary Health Center. “While bats are essential for our ecosystem and most bats are harmless, we need to remember that in some situations, bats can be a threat to our health,” Nelson said. “Any possible contact with bats by people or pets needs to be taken seriously.” If a bat is found in your residence, Nelson recommends having the mammal tested for rabies in the following situations:

• When you are scratched or bitten by a bat.
• When you handled a bat with your bare hands.
• When you woke up and found a bat in your room.
• When unattended young children are found in the same room with a bat.
• When mentally disabled or intoxicated people are found in a room with a bat.

It is important to take these situations seriously as rabies is almost always fatal after symptoms appear, despite treatment efforts. Possible exposure to rabies is an urgent event, but not an emergency in most situations. This means that one can typically wait to receive post-exposure treatment until after the testing results are in, Nelson said, but there are some situations where it will be started right away. If there’s a possibility a pet was exposed to a bat, it should be taken to a veterinarian within 96 hours and get a rabies booster if the bat was unavailable for testing.