State warns: This is peak season for risk of bat bites

Last update: August 14, 2008 - 10:28 AM

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State health officials today are sending this warning to Minnesotans:

We are in the midst of the month when the risk of bites from bats is at its highest.

The Minnesota Department of Health says that one of the greatest risks for being infected with rabies by any animal in the state is exposure to a rabid bat, and nearly 40 percent of human-bat interactions occur in August.

The death of a Minnesota man last fall and another fatality in 2000 occurred following contact with a rabid bat.

'These cases underscore the importance of seeking prompt medical attention if you are bitten by or may have been exposed to an animal that could be infected with rabies,' said Dr. Joni Scheftel, state public health veterinarian.

Anyone in contact with a bat should seek immediate medical attention, the Health Department says, adding that contact "may include finding a bat in the room of an unattended child or waking up to find a bat in the room."

Bat exposures pose a particular problem because the bites are difficult to see and may go unnoticed.

If there is any physical contact with a bat, the area should be washed thoroughly with soap and water and the bat captured for testing. Rabies treatment is generally recommended if the bat cannot be tested. Treatment is nearly 100 percent effective.

Three to 4 percent of the 400 or so bats submitted annually for rabies testing in Minnesota are confirmed to be infected, the Health Department said.

--PAUL WALSH

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