What If You Get Bitten By A Bat?

What If A Bat Bites You?

There are numerous wild creatures that if you get bitten by, you should seek medical advice right away as several are known to carry rabies and other infectious diseases. Even a dog bite can be deathly dangerous to humans if the dog is infected with rabies. In fact, you cannot compare raccoon, possum and squirrel bites with that of a bat considering that bats are carriers of pathogens and parasites that pose a severe risk to humans and pets. When the bat’s feces dry, they break apart the dangerous parasites they carry with them; you can easily breathe in these harmful parasites easily, and become sick with all sorts of infectious diseases. If these parasites come into contact with your skin, they can burrow their way into your body, and once in your bloodstream, they can set up in your heart or your digestive tract. This is how dangerous coming into contact with bat droppings is.

What if this flying mammal bites you?

If by just coming into contact with bat’s feces and fur is dangerous, then, if you’re bitten or scratched, it is incredibly dangerous. Note that most of the bacteria and pathogens may lack warm conditions to survive in bat’s feces if they don’t find a new host in time; some will die.  However, the pathogens and the bacteria inside a rabid bat will be thriving and be ready to cause serious harm to any new host they come across. A bite from an infected bat means its blood or saliva will come into direct contact with your skin and later into your bloodstream; bites will make you sick instantly. There are very few instances where someone is bitten or scratched by a bat and doesn’t become sick shortly after.

What to do if a bat bites you.

From the above information, you know a bat bite is incredibly dangerous. It may have infected you with rabies which is deadly if not medicated right away.

In case of bat bites, ensure that you get help immediately. The centers for disease control and prevention heavily advised that you should report to an emergency room right away for proper treatment. Many have people have died from rabies in the past, even though it is a 100% curable disease if you seek treatment immediately.

In case you are bitten in the wilderness, seek medical help from the nearest ranger station. Bat bites are dangerous because if it carries the rabies virus, you have about 24 hours to live if you are not given the right medication. This is the bitter truth.