Bats are a familiar sight as Halloween decorations, but real bats are best admired from a distance.
As temperatures drop in the fall, bats may find their way indoors. These little creatures play an important role in our ecosystem, but they can also carry rabies, a serious virus that can be deadly. Knowing what to do if you come across a bat can keep you and your family safe.
In Iowa, bats are among the wild animals most likely to carry rabies. Rabies can spread through bites or scratches, when an infected animal’s saliva comes in contact with a person’s eyes, nose, mouth or open wound. Never touch a bat with your bare hands, even if it appears to be dead, injured or acting calmly.
To prevent bats from sneaking inside your home, seal all exterior gaps larger than one-quarter inch with sturdy materials, such as caulk, steel wool or hardware cloth.
If you are bitten by a bat or you find a bat inside and cannot say with 100% certainty that no one was bitten — like waking up with a bat in your room — you will need to take immediate action to prevent rabies. Bat bites can be extremely small and may go unnoticed.
In these cases, wash the suspected bite or scratch site with soap and water. Then seek medical care at an emergency department or urgent care clinic to receive post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
If you are able to capture the bat and it tests negative, PEP may not be necessary. Put on leather work gloves and use a small container and piece of cardboard to trap the bat safely, then tape the cardboard to the container. Be careful to not damage the animal’s head and skull.
Deliver the bat to one of the Iowa Hygienic Labs in either Ankeny or Coralville, calling first to notify them. The results of the test will determine whether treatment is needed.
For more information about rabies and bats, visit Iowa Health and Human Services’ rabies websire.
Natalie Del Vecchio is the community health educator in the Dallas County Public Health Department.