Woke up up with bite mark - bat?

[NorthWorried91]

Hello

Sorry in advance if this is the wrong thread for such a post. A few nights ago I woke up in the middle of the night and thought I saw something small (but larger than an insect) briefly fly slowly in our bedroom. I should say I had just come back from a work xmas party so was a little more than tipsy so dismissed it as nothing and the bedroom windows were shut. A few days later I've noticed what to me looks very much like a small bite mark on my finger (two pin prick dots) - someone jokingly mentioned it could of been Bat - but this has got me very concerned (because of rabies). Has anyone got any advice what to do if I should book an urgent GP appointment to get it checked (or even go to A&E?) to see if I need vaccines as bats can carry rabies. Currently very anxious, as I was drunk so may not of noticed getting bitten, so any advice would be really appreciated? I know rabies is exceptionally rare in bats and I cant say what I saw was a bat but the thought of it incredibly scary.

Thank you!

My understanding from the medical advice I was given by doctors when I was bitten that anything past 24 hours is not ideal and that if not given in the first few days it would probably be too late. Perhaps the advice has changed now or perhaps it differs by country and advice is different in the UK, but my understanding is it needs to be given ASAp. OP has already said she is going to A&E anyway where she can get advice from medical professionals, anybody who takes medical advice from random people on mumsnet at face value probably deserves whatever they get as a result!

@WhatsTheUseOfWorrying no, not a vet but do bat care for rescued bats.

You own the thread. 👍

Vampire. Definitely.

crack out the garlic

Agree with the majority, bats do not fly slowly.

I would say large spider bite. Is the area sore, itchy or swollen today?

Hi - no it’s not sore, itchy or swollen at all.

Almost certainly not a bite, just a random finger graze

This thread is hilarious.

Someone finds 2 tiny dots on their finger that do not hurt or cause them any trouble.

Starts fretting that may now have rabies from bat bite despite not having seen a bat.

Off to A&E they go to get their pain-free dots investigated….

you couldn’t make it up

@NorthWorried91 https://www.google.com/search?scaesv=592556902&rlz=1C1FKPEen-GBGB938GB938&sxsrf=AM9HkKmvkjD9EiVawzUhvqln9mzMcoYhdA:1703095939791&q=bat+bite+mark&tbm=isch&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjpv4nkzp6DAxX0VEEAHUojBfIQ0pQJegQIDBAB&cshid=1703095946216842&biw=1348&bih=646&dpr=1.42 measure the distance between puncture wounds and check out this google page. think it was a pipistrelle bat which bit the patient in the east of scotland.

Just to add another animal into the mix - I got bitten by a snake 😅and it looked a bit like that after a day or so. However I reckon you’d have definitely remembered a snake, even drunk. Really hurt and bled too. Got a tetanus shot at the gp just in case.

Radioactive spider/Vampire

Thanks, I’m not so sure looking at other bites would help as others have said a bat bite could look like another type of animal or insect bite. I’ll obviously get this checked with doctors as recommended by 111…. but if I haven’t confirmed what I saw was a bat then it seems the consensus is it was not a bat - thus I probably wouldn’t qualify for the rabies vaccine I would guess.

If you open your curtains it might be hiding between the pleats. Have had that before.

Whatever happened to dabbing on a bit of tcp or salon?

Sympathy, OP - tricky when it's really most likely nothing, but the alternative is worrying. I once got pricked by a tiny acupuncture needle left on a bus seat. Everyone agreed it would probably be fine, but still needed several rounds of blood testing, prophylactic vaccines, etc. I hope it's not a long wait for you and you get peace of mind soon.

You know, I have horrific health anxiety and I’m incredibly irrational at times, but this is absolute madness!

Just because you were advised to go to A&E does not mean that it’s appropriate. You said that the spots were of no concern but given the situation they advised you to go. What situation?! There was no bat and no reason for you to suspect that a bat had been anywhere near you. You’ve worked yourself up into a frenzy about precisely nothing and a medical person has validated the craziness.

It’s no wonder people can’t get through to 111 when people are phoning about imaginary bats and (yesterday) a runny nose!!

Just to clarify, you’re going to A&E and will say:

I had a drunken dream that I saw something move in my room. Several days later I have two tiny scratches.

This thread is hilarious.

Best bit "catch him Gerry" 😂

Thanks yes I do get quite anxious about these things. I was expecting the 111 caller to dismiss, but them telling me to get to A&E asap sort of validated that it could have been a bat (which I now realise after everyone’s input seems very very unlikely)

I've been following with interest.. I have horrendous health anxiety and pure OCD intrusive thoughts and this is deffo something I would be fretting about... I'm dying to know the outcome even if I am now triggered to start thinking completely irrationally- off I go down a Google rabbit hole about how I can catch rabies and making a promise to myself to avoid all things considered hsy could possibly give me them.

Oh that's fucking hilarious! 😂

I really don't want to worry anyone but that does look like the bite from a Giant Silverfish Overlord. They are out and about at the moment.

@tara66 if you google it now OP's photo comes up!

Bedbugs

Becareful what you say if you had a bat in your room you would have seen it. You want to be home on Christmas day don't you.

If there is any chance whatsoever that it could have been a bat, they will want to vaccinate, simply because once you get symptoms of rabies it is already too late. There is a very good reason that rabies is treated with the level of paranoia that it is.