Rabid bat warning (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Rabid bat warning

8:51am Friday 24th June 2005

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CUMBRIAN walkers are being warned to avoid handling sick and injured bats they might find on canal and riverbanks following the discovery of one of the creatures carrying a strain of rabies.

The advice is being issued by the Health Protection Agency, North West following the discovery of the diseased bat in Radcliff, Greater Manchester.

Consultant in health protection with the Cumbria and Lancashire Health Protection Unit, Dr Ken Lamdoen, said: "This particular bat was found to be infected with the European Bat Lyssavirus Type Two - a strain of rabies that is thankfully very uncommon in the UK bat population.

"The bat had been stunned after flying into a tree and was picked up by a member of the public and also handled by three professional bat-workers. None were bitten or scratched but all were vaccinated against rabies as a precautionary measure and all are infection free."

Although over 4,000 bats in the UK have been tested for rabies since 1986, only four have been found to be positive. The other cases were in Sussex in 1996, Lancashire in 2002, Surrey in 2004 and another case with a different strain was recently discovered in a serotine bat in the South of England.

HPA's North West lead Regional Epidemiologist Professor Martyn Regan said: "The virus has now been isolated on four occasions in the less common Daubenton's bats, a species that rarely roosts in houses. The infection has not been found in the more common pipstrelle bat."

"Although any risk to humans from a bat scratch or bite would be low, we would strongly advise members of the public not to handle a sick or injured bat. Our advice is aimed at anglers and walkers as Dauberton's bats tend to live near river or canals often roosting in the stonework of bridges. Anglers should not handle bats that become snagged on their fishing lines.

He added: "Our advice to family doctors and accident and emergency staff is that anyone who has been bitten or had a close exposure to a bat should be assessed for a post exposure rabies vaccination as soon as possible."

People who find a sick or ailing bat should not approach or handle the bat but should seek advice from the Bat Conservation Trust by calling 0845-1300-228.

Silverdale-based bat expert Gail Armstrong said: "Rabies is a very rare disease so it is important to keep things in perspective and not let it put you off bats. If you do come across a bat then don't handle it with your bare hands, if you don't touch the animal then you will never get bitten."

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