Whether you think bats are creepy or cute, one thing for sure is you don鈥檛 want to come in physical contact with them.
The reason is bats are the primary carrier of the rabies virus in B.C.
Jennifer Jeyes, a communicable disease specialist with Interior Health working out of Vernon, says rabies is almost always a fatal disease if not treated in time, as it attacks the nervous system.
Jeyes said between four and eight per cent of bats that are tested after coming in contact with people are found to have the rabies virus.
The disease is transmitted when a bat鈥檚 saliva comes in contact with a person鈥檚 mucus membranes鈥攅yes, nose or mouth鈥攐r through a break in the skin caused by a bite.
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There is both an antibody remedy and vaccine that can stop the spread of rabies, but quick response to suspected bat bite is critical.
Shots are called for over the first two weeks of a positive diagnosis to prevent the rabies virus from reaching the nervous system.
鈥淓arly treatment is crucial to prevent rabies from progressing鈥he treatment vaccinations must be administered as soon as possible after being exposed to rabies,鈥� Jeyes said.
But the treatment process has become more effective and less needle-invasive over time.
鈥淭he days of getting a shot through your bellybutton for 25 days in a row are past,鈥� she said.
鈥淭he vaccine injections now go into different muscles, such as upper arm, hip or thigh, depending on the volume that has to be given. For an average healthy person, after two weeks the vaccine and globulin antibody administered is sufficient as your immune system starts producing its own response.鈥�
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She said there 61 reported cases of potential exposure to rabies within the Interior Health region last year.
Jeyes said if you suspect of being bitten by a bat, contact your public health unit, doctor or go to hospital emergency right away to verify and get treatment. Don鈥檛 wait for symptoms to appear.
鈥淲e tell people to take it seriously and take precautions to avoid contact with bats,鈥� she added.
鈥淏ats are fascinating creatures, incredibly important to the ecosystem and they eat an enormous quantity of insects, such as mosquitos. But they deserve our respect.鈥�
