re: Ontario boy dies from rabies from bat

quote:

---

immunoglobulin shots

---

I was bit/scratched on my ring finger. The nurse pulls out the first syringe of immunoglobulin and the thing was the biggest fricking needle I've ever seen in my life. I kind of chuckled and expected to get it in my rear, but she was like, "no honey, this is going in your finger." That thing hurt so bad. I'm usually fine with needles, but this one was on another level. She poked me half a dozen times in that one finger to inject as much of the stuff as she could, then she spread the rest around my body.

On a Sunday afternoon in a small parish, no one knew what to do. I called everyone. Then, I remembered that an heir in one of the estates I represent was the CDC Viral Pathogens Chief in Atlanta. He knew exactly what to do. An agent from the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries came out to pick up the bat. I was told not to freeze the bat (but refrigeration was ok) because they couldn't test the brain of a frozen bat. I was told to take the rabies protocol even if the bat tested negative (and you can see from the attached that it was positive, it was also 2023 not 2024). I was told this was the first confirmed attack by a rabid bat in 50 years.

I got a few calls from researchers. As you can see from the attached, you get a lot of people involved with a rabies attack. I couldn't post page three, which has the good stuff, due to I could not redact the private information sufficiently.

I am grateful for this thread because otherwise I would not have been aware of bat rabies protocols. If I found a bat I would first think to show my boys, glad I am reading this.

You lived my nightmare. I have an irrational fear of zoonoses.

This thread sent me down a bit of a rabbit hole. Here is what I found.

quote:

---

Less than 1% of wild bats carry rabies, but bats account for roughly 70% of human rabies deaths in the United States. Transmission occurs via infected saliva—typically through a bite—but due to a bat's microscopic teeth, many victims are unaware they were ever exposed.

Infection Rate: Estimated to be less than 1% of the general wild bat population, though roughly 3% to 5% of bats tested for showing erratic behavior or being found in human spaces test positive.

Transmission Mode: Transmitted through saliva or brain tissue, generally via a bite, but occasionally by direct contact with mucous membranes or open wounds.

Human Risk: Though rare, bat-borne rabies causes about 1 to 2 human deaths per year in the U.S.. Most cases occur because a bite goes unnoticed or is ignored, delaying life-saving treatment.Treatment: The virus is 100% preventable if post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is administered before symptoms develop, but it is virtually 100% fatal once symptoms appear.

Global vs. Local: While rabid dogs account for 99% of the 30,000+ worldwide rabies deaths annually, strict pet vaccination laws in the U.S. mean bat contact is the primary domestic threat.

---

My wife was on it from the get go and I thought she was being dramatic. He had a fever yesterday and I googled and drove directly home to get him and brought him to the ER. Turns out he has a version of RSV causing the fever but I’m glad we caught it.

Google’s AI told me to stop asking it questions as this was a medical emergency and to bring him to the ER immediately.

quote:

---

Woke up to a bat lying on his face. Dad/parents don't see any bite/scratch marks, so they don't get the shots

---

they didn't bring the fricking bat in to get it tested??

As I understand it, if you find a bat in your house whether you were asleep for a bit or not, you should go get the vax.

quote:

---

He swatted the bat away, and his father captured it before releasing it outside.

---

The father should have had the bat tested for rabies. Did he not want to see the bat killed to test it?

Perhaps, it doesn't require a break in the skin to contract rabies if the bat was over the boys mouth and nose.

quote:

---

Woke up to a bat lying on his face

---

If you wake up to a roach falling on your face, should you also go to the ER to begin the rabies protocol?


For a friend.