Bats in bedroom - rabies risk?

[BatShitCrazyInBelgium]

We are on holiday in Belgium and two nights ago had the windows open and 4/5 bats flew into the room and were in there while we were asleep, but no idea how long for. I’m not aware that I was bitten, but am now worried that I could have been whilst I was asleep. There are no visible bite or scratch marks that I can see.

Do you think I need rabies treatment? I’m not back in the U.K. until Sunday and there are no hospitals nearby where we are.

How interesting! We have loads of bats and I catch them in the house from time to time. It has never occurred to me that they could be a health risk, although I do catch them in a tea towel.

Well, personally, instead of taking advice from all the armchair experts, I'd look at something like this

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachmentdata/file/902947/BattContactRabiessRiskLeaflett_2020126.pdf

I don't know what the advice is in terms of Belgian bats, but if that happened to me here in the uk then I'd want to get vaccinated. As someone else said, rabies isn't something to mess with.

My friend's son was bitten by a bat he was trying to rescue and had to go through all of the anti rabies injections. Yes it's rare, but rabies does still exist and it's clear that eg in the UK, despite being rabies free, bats with rabies are still found here (see bottom of this page:
www.gov.uk/guidance/rabies-in-bats

Obviously I'm not sure of the situation in Belgium but personally I wouldn't risk it.

The advise is if you find a bat in your room - assume it’s bitten you and seek rabies treatment. Bat teeth are so small you often wouldn’t feel it - kids have died in USA from finding a bat in their room not knowing they were bitten - and dying of rabies -the ignorance on this post!

😁

Last year five people died of rabies from bat bites out of a US population of 331,893,745. That is 0.000001506506%. There were 49,000 people killed by guns. 42,915 killed in car crashes. And an average of 11 people are killed by bears. Luckily, Belgium has been rabies free for over 20 years. It has gun laws. And there aren't too many bears there.

Let's keep this in proportion. The OP is needlessly stressed enough.

Although I am giving credit for the lack of garlic and vampire jokes.

People who are basically ignorant should not go on the internet and give advice. It’s dangerous.

OP, get the vaccine. Better safe than sorry.

Look in the mirror. If you don’t have a reflection then it’s time to worry.

I don't think bats would bite you

"Catch him Derry!!" 😂🦇

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gN3Msg5DpEQ

@JasmineVioletRose

"He's making a mockery of you"

@hellololabells2019 still cracks me up. Every time 😂😂😂

We have bats under our roof. Had them in the house many times. We just catch them and bring them back outside. Never been bitten. I dont think they would go and bite a sleeping person for no reason.
If they did bite you you would probably know about it.

There is rabies in bats in Scotland actually.
it’s a different strain from the classic rabies so transmission is likely to be low.
If you find in injured or dead bat you should call the bat conservation trust. They will usually send someone to collect it and they give you careful instructions on handling it.

Ah, bat misinformation. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Bats are only likely to bite if caught and handled, which is why any licensed bat worker will always wear gloves when handling them (and really only licensed people should do this). If they flew in and roosted for the night they will not have come near you - they actively avoid humans where possible.

Some bats do carry lyssavirus, which is related to rabies. More info from the Bat Conservation Trust here: www.bats.org.uk/about-bats/bats-and-disease/bats-and-disease-in-the-uk/bats-and-rabies

OP, the chances of you having been bitten are minuscule, and the chances of contracting lyssavirus even smaller. Leave the bats be, and they’ll do the same for you. Just keep the windows open so they can fly in and out easily.

Totally missing the point but if you were asleep how the hell do you know that 4 or 5 bats were in the bedroom with you ?

Theres no need to panic though and she doesn’t need a vaccine otherwise it would be a travel recommendation
And all of us living in the country in Scotland would need one!

bat In a room are a category 2 risk but the location of Belgium drops the risk to zero. UK HCP wouldn’t recommend PEP in this case assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1037545/Guidelines_on_rabies_post-exposure_treatment___September_2021.pdf

BAT!

Hold it in direct sunlight to see if it crumbles to dust. If it does, seek urgent help from a 1980’s elderly catholic priest.

(Sorry couldn’t resist, personally I think you’ll be ok).

@FurAndFeathers please can you check your pms.

That information is about classic rabies, not the type of rabies that is carried by bats. Government advice is that all bats should be treated as if they have rabies:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/rabies-risks-from-bat-bites/information-for-individuals-who-have-been-bitten-by-a-bat

I don't think anyone is saying this is anything other than a really, really minuscule risk. But obviously the problem with rabies is that by the time symptoms develop, it's too late.

And as I linked to above, the UK is rabies free but bats with rabies have been found here. That's because they fly from France, and so I'm guessing they probably don't have anything against flying to Belgium too.

It's very low risk. Very low isn't the same as no risk so if you are worried call nhs 111 or your gp if you are British (you can call from overseas) for medical advice.

Thank you everyone for your thoughts. I sought medical advice back in the U.K. and the current guidance is to have a course of the rabies vaccine if you have been asleep in the same room as bats, if you are in Europe and have been drinking or taken any sleeping tablets.

A lovely lady from the virology department at Cardiff at University hospital wales called today and talked me through all the reasons for this. I had to wait 8 hours in A&E to get the jab, but I’m now feeling much more relieved. I need another three more jabs over the next couple of weeks which the hospital are organising.

Good for you, OP. Better safe than sorry. Rabies is the one disease you don’t take risks with, no matter how small.