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Dr. Krista Edelman was having a strange dream about a small mouse trying to get into her mouth.
When she woke up, she was met with the horrifying realization that there was, in fact, a furry animal “burrowing” between her lips.
“I reach up to my mouth … and then I touch something that is kind of slimy and a little hairy and cool,” she said in an Instagram post, describing a half-awake state when she thought she was still dreaming.
She realized “immediately” it was a bat.
“This bat was legitimately trying to burrow between my lips into my mouth, trying to get past my teeth,” said Edelman, a gastroenterologist in Richmond, Virginia. “I grabbed this bat and I threw it across the room and I screamed.”
Her husband, grabbed a T-ball bat — but from her training, she says she knew that wasn’t the right move.
“I knew we were supposed to try to catch this bat so it can actually be tested and see if there are rabies in its brain,” she said.
There are more than 40 bat species widespread across the US, and healthy bats avoid humans if they can help it.
But summertime is when homeowners frequently find bats in their home. The mammals often roost in the attic, and if it gets too hot, they’ll leave to find a cooler spot.
Bats can infect humans with a number of dangerous diseases. Famously, COVID-19 originated from the mammal.
Rabies is one of the primary diseases that can be passed from bats to humans. A vast majority (97%) of bats are healthy and good for the environment, but infected bats are responsible for 7 of 10 rabies deaths in the US.
Untreated, rabies travels slowly through the body over months without symptoms, then cause serious brain and nervous system damage, leading to coma and death.
Luckily, the rabies vaccine is very effective and can be given to people shortly after they’ve been exposed. It helps the body kills the virus before it reaches the brain.
In Edelman’s case, the bat tested negative for rabies — but she still took action to be on the safe side.
“Because I had direct contact and hadn’t previously been vaccinated against rabies, I went to the ER and started the rabies vaccine series and received immunoglobulin,” she said.
Most importantly, Edelman wanted to share a PSA: “If you live in an older home, check those attics and chimneys! And if you wake up with a bat in the room and aren’t sure whether you had contact with it, don’t assume you’re fine. It’s worth getting medical advice right away!”
Why you may not know if a bat touched you
Not everyone who encounters a bat will even know a bat touched them. Bat bites, the primary way rabies is spread, can be very small and not easily seen.
Experts recommend proceeding as if there was a known bat bite if a bat was found where people were asleep, or there were children or someone else might not be able to understand or report a bat encounter.
Here’s what to do if you suspect a bat touched someone in your house:
- Never touch the bat with bare hands — that’s one way rabies can spread.
- Gently capture the bat when it lands in a large box or bucket, while wearing thick leather gloves. Puncture air holes, slide cardboard or another rigid flat surface under the opening, flip it upside down and tape it shut (just like capturing a bug).
- Call your state health department. They’ll have the bat tested for rabies and will determine if you need medical attention.
How to keep bats out of your home:
- Bats don’t make holes — they use existing ones to get in. They can fit into tiny openings, as small as 1/4 inch wide. Check for any openings.
- Call animal control or a local wildlife conservation to help bat proof your home.
- Use caulk, screens, and steel wool to fill holes and seal doors, especially around the attic.
- Ensure all windows and doors are closed tightly.
