[QUOTE=Eleusis]
What’s your solution for finding a single bat in your dining room?
Call the cops?
[/QUOTE]
Who said anything about “calling the cops”? Who said anything about panicking? That’s mischaracterizing what I said.
We’re talking about the OP finding not one but two bats recently in an area where she works. I’ve posted links to isolated cases where people who were near bats ended up with rabies.
With respect, I don’t care what the bats want, and neither should you or anyone else. I know they don’t want to bite or infect via other means anyone on purpose.
I posted links to cases where people have been exposed, and died, without bites.
How would a non-zoologist or a person not familiar with bats know if a bat is acting strangely? What does acting strangely entail for something flying around your house and banging against things trying to get out?
Well, the Centers for Disease Control says this:
From: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies/bats_&_rabies/bats&.htm
[QUOTE=CDC]
However, any bat that is active by day, is found in a place where bats are not usually seen (for example, in a room in your home or on the lawn), or is unable to fly, is far more likely than others to be rabid. Such bats are often the most easily approached.
[/QUOTE]
Does the OP reporting the catching of two bats in her office during the daylight constitute a place where they are not normally seen? Note that there are many other cases where bats clearly behave “oddly”, but how does one with limited bat experience know for sure? I wouldn’t know.
Bats don’t have radar, it’s a type of sonar. Read up on bats and find out more about them - they’re really interesting critters. And your choice may be right for you but it may not be the right choice for a generic person.
Why? Over the years on the SDMB I’ve seen this apparent fear of people just doing the simple thing and seeking medical advice with real doctors. I saw it long ago when people tried to claim it was almost inconceivable that anyone should learn how to give a Glucagon shot to a diabetic. What is this fear about just doing the simple thing and seeking a doctor to get shots? (and I know that earlier I said “get the shots”, but I sincerely doubt that most places will just pass out rabies shots without you having a doctor write an order for them…that should be evident). Is it because it’s the “S-word”? I’ve had tens of thousands of shots, almost all of them given by myself. It’s not a grand, big deal to seek post-exposure medical advice and get 6 or however many little shots.
Here’s another bit from the CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies/bats_&_rabies/bats&.htm
[QUOTE=CDC]
In February 1995, the aunt of a 4-year-old girl was awakened by the sounds of a bat in the room where the child was sleeping. The child did not wake up until the bat was captured, killed, and discarded. The girl reported no bite, and no evidence of a bite wound was found when she was examined. One month later the child became sick and died of rabies. The dead bat was recovered from the yard and tested–it had rabies.
This case demonstrates several points:
* This child's infection with rabies was most likely the result of a bat bite. Children sleep heavily and may not awaken from the presence of a small bat. A bat bite can be superficial and not easily noticed.
* The bat was behaving abnormally. Instead of hiding, the bat was making unusual noises and was having difficulty flying. This strange behavior should have led to a strong suspicion of rabies.
[/QUOTE]
There was no evidence of a bite. However, they also suspect that there was most likely a bite while asleep nonetheless. In this case, the bat was behaving abnormally - it was making unusual noises and flying with difficulty. If you don’t know what noises a bat is supposed to make, how do you know that? If you don’t know how bats fly in enclosed spaces (like a house with furnishings), how do you know that it’s flying erratically? Hindsight is very sharp in these cases.
I don’t care what the bat’s reasons are. Bats are not malicious or mean, and they won’t try to bite unless panicked or something else has gone wrong. But I don’t care if I know it bit me or not. Google a bit and you’ll find cases where people did not remember any exposure or bite from a bat, yet were in the same area as bats and died.
I like bats. I like bats a lot. We have bats living in the tall trees near my house. At dusk Fierra and I will sometimes sit out and watch them swoop and dive for insects. The first time I ever saw a bat flying (outside of a cave) was when Fierra and I were on vacation in Greece, sitting by the seashore. I’m not saying the OP should harm, exterminate, or cause grief or pain to the bats - I’m saying that if they have a concern that they’ve had too much exposure, or the possibility of too much exposure, then they should eliminate the concern by telling a doctor and getting the shots.
Once again - the OP is concerned. I’m not saying everyone with bat exposure should dial 1-800-NAVYSEALS for their rabies shots. That should have been obvious. When I was caving I saw and passed by plenty of bats, and I never felt like I should get a shot. But a person who is concerned and who finds bats in an area where bats normally are not would be advised to ask their doctor and consider - or insist on if they are really concerned - the shots.
[QUOTE=Eleusis]
While I’m not necessarily asking for a better cite than Wikipedia, It’s much more likely that their pets got it first.
[/QUOTE]
I can’t find any cite that either of the people in the two cases have pets. Again, the CDC does not mention testing any pets or other domestic animals in the house, so one would assume that there were nto any.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies/professional/MMWRtext/mmwr4618.htm
You must have found a link that showed that they had pets, so please post your links so we can see what other circumstances might also have played a factor.
