Do bats really deserve their bad rabies reputation?

How much of a health risk do bats pose to humans?

That’s the question some people are asking after a Brant County resident was recently diagnosed with a rare case of human rabies, believed to stem from contact with a bat in the Timiskaming Region.

It is the first case of human rabies ever recorded in Brant County. According to Public Health Ontario, the province's last confirmed case of domestic human rabies was reported in 1967. Nationwide, there have only been 26 known cases of rabies in humans since reporting began in 1924.

Bats are just one of the animals that can pass the rabies virus along to humans through saliva or mucous contact.

Medical experts urge anyone who comes into contact with a bat or any other animal that may be rabid, even if there is no visible bite or scratch marks, to seek immediate medical attention and begin a series of rabies vaccine doses.

Rabies is considered almost 100 per cent fatal once the virus infects a human’s central nervous system and symptoms begin to appear. People are warned to use extreme caution when interacting with animals and always seek medical attention.

Although experts agree with the need for prompt medical attention, they say bats are not necessarily the dangerous creatures they are sometimes portrayed to be.

“When the virus gets into a bat, it doesn’t make the bat foam at the mouth and attack people. It makes the bat act sick and so the bat is more likely to be out on the sidewalk in the middle of the day doing really badly,” CTV News Science and Technology Expert Dan Riskin, who did his PhD on bats, explained. “That’s when people come into contact with it, or a cat comes into contact with it, or some other household pet. The really important thing for people to remember is you’ve got to keep your pets vaccinated because they might come into contact with a bat and they don’t have the same common sense you do.”

Pet owners in Ontario are required to make sure their cats, dogs or ferrets, three months of age or older, are immunized against rabies.

Ontario Veterinary College Professor Scott Weese said there were approximately three reported cases of canine rabies and one case of feline rabies reported across Canada last year.

Keeping bats out

Homeowners are urged to keep a careful eye on their properties to prevent bat colonies from forming in unwanted places.

“All they need is an inch and a quarter by three-sixteenths – that’s half the size of a dime. So they can get in just about anywhere,” explained Kenney Charboneau, owner of bat removal company Bats Canada.

Charboneau said bats are very active during August and September and can squeeze into a home through soffits, roof vents and chimneys.

“It usually starts with night roosting – they’re hanging out on the building in between feedings and they squeeze in and then, all of a sudden, they leave a scent trail and that’s how small colonies start,” said Charboneau. “And they don’t go away. They have a great memory.”

Some of Charboneau’s tips to keep homes bat free include:

• Identifying potential entry points, such as gaps in roofs, vents or chimneys
• Installing one-way exclusion devices that allow bats to exit, but not the re-enter
• Sealing potential future entry points with materials like caulk, foam, metal or mesh
• Cleaning and disinfecting the area to remove harmful pathogens
• Consulting a professional for large or complication infestations

With reporting from Krista Sharpe