Going “Batty”:
Bat Exposures and Rabies
Prophylaxis in McHenry
County
Sherrie Gallas
Epidemiologist
Mary Lou Ludicky
Communicable Disease Coordinator
August 2007
Bats: Facts vs. Fiction
African Fruit Bats
Over 1100 species of bats
z Geographically distributed all over the
world, except for Artic and Antarctic
Circles
z Average bat lifespan: 25 – 40 years
z
z Produce
only one live offspring per year
Bumblebee Bat
Craseonycteris thonglongyai
Giant Flying Fox
Pteropus vampyrus
More Facts About Bats
Jamaican Fruit Bat
z
Bats are mammals, not rodents
z
Order: Chiroptera – “Hand wing”
z
z
z
Only mammal capable of natural powered flight.
Bats are not blind
z
z
Most bats can see as well as humans
Eyes are adapted for low-light visibility
z
z
Related to: Tree shrews, Cobegos/Flying Lemurs, Whales (?)
Some species of bats can see in color
Navigate through echolocation
z
Do not become tangled in hair
z
Most bats eat insects, fruit, nectar,
pollen
and
Lesser Long
billions of tons of insects each
Nosed Bat
summer
z Protect crops
z Important for pollination and seed dispersal
z Eat
Some species eat frogs and fish
z Only 3 species are “vampire bats”
z
Bats in Illinois
Endangered
Indiana Bat
Myotis sodalis
Common: Migratory
Gray Bat
Myotis grisescens
Southeastern Bat
Myotis austroriparius
Rafinesque's Big-eared Bat
Corynorhinus rafinesquii
Uncommon
Keen’s Bat
Myotis keenii
Hoary Bat
Lasiurus cinereus
Red Bat
Lasiurus borealis
Evening Bat
Nycticeius humeralis
Silver Haired Bat
Lasionycteris noctivagans
Common: Hibernate in Winter
Big Brown Bat
Eptesicus fuscus
Little Brown Bat
Eastern Pipistrel
Myotis lucifigus Pipistrellus subflavus
Rabies
Caused by the Lyssavirus
z Infects the Central Nervous System and
causes encephalopathy and ultimately
death.
z Symptoms:
z
z Fever,
Headache, and general malaise
z Insomnia, anxiety, confusion, paralysis,
excitation, hallucinations, agitation,
hypersalivation, difficulty swallowing, and
hydrophobia
z Death occurs within days of symptom onset
Exposure to Rabies
Rabies virus is found primarily in the
saliva, brain tissue and spinal fluid of a
rabid animal/human.
z Humans and animals become exposed to
rabies by the following methods:
z
z Bites
z Contact
with saliva (kissing, licking, sharing
utensils)
Rabies in Animals
Can affect ALL mammals
z Found in all states except Hawaii
z Common in bats, skunks, raccoons, foxes,
deer, large rodents (woodchucks), cats,
dogs and livestock
z Rare in chipmunks, gerbils, guinea pigs,
hamsters, mice, rabbits, rats, and squirrels
z Birds, fish, insects, lizards, snakes and
turtles never get rabies
z
Total Number of Animals Testing Positive for Rabies in Illinois
from 1990 - August 22, 2007*
80
68
70
51
51
46
50
40
40
35
31
30
30
23
25
21
20
22
20
24
24
16
15
10
10
*
07
20
06
20
05
20
04
20
03
20
02
20
01
20
00
20
99
19
98
19
97
19
96
19
95
19
94
19
93
19
92
19
91
19
90
0
19
Number of Animals
60
Percent of Animals Testing Postive for Rabies in Illinois
from 1990 - August 22, 2007
Horse, 0.2
Dogs, 1.1
Cats, 0.7
Skunks, 12.5
Cattle, 1.1
Fox, 0.2
Bats, 84.1
Percent of Bats, Skunks and All Animals Testing Positive for Rabies in
Illinois from 1990 - August 22, 2007*
90.0
80.0
70.0
Bats
Skunks
All Other Animals
60.0
50.0
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
*
20
07
20
06
20
05
20
04
20
03
20
02
20
01
20
00
19
99
19
98
19
97
19
96
19
95
19
94
19
93
19
92
19
91
0.0
19
90
Percent of Total Animals Testing Positive
100.0
Total Number of Animals Testing Positive for Rabies in McHenry County
from 1990 - August 27, 2007*
12
10
9
8
6
5
4
4
2
2
2
1
1
1
0
1
0
0
1
1
1
1
0
0
19
90
19
91
19
92
19
93
19
94
19
95
19
96
19
97
19
98
19
99
20
00
20
01
20
02
20
03
20
04
20
05
20
06
20
07
*
Number of Animals Testing Postive
10
Number of Bats, Skunks and Other Animals Testing Postive For Rabies in
McHenry County From 1990 - August 27, 2007*
Bats
Skunks
12
All Other Animals
N u m b er o f A n im als T estin g Po stive
10
8
6
4
2
0
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007*
Rabies and Bats
z
Little Brown Bat
Less than 0.05% of bats carry rabies
z Because
one bat is infected does not mean a
whole colony is infected.
About 5% of bats tested are positive for
rabies.
z Signs a bat may have rabies:
z
z Flying
during the day, found in a place where
bats are not usually found (in a room or in the
lawn), or laying on the ground.
Public Health
Importance of Rabies
z
Before 1960, the majority of rabies
cases occurred in domestic animals
z 100
z
Jeanna Giese, 2004
rabies related human deaths annually
Today, more than 90% of all animal cases
reported to CDC are in wildlife
z 1-2
rabies related human deaths annually
Once symptoms begin, there is no cure and
rabies is (almost) always fatal
z Estimated public health cost: $300 million
annually
z
Rabies Post Exposure Prophylaxis
(PEP)
z
z
z
Pre-Exposure vs. Post-Exposure
Current rabies vaccine is nearly 100% effective
PEP is recommended for people who have been
bitten or may have been in contact with bat saliva.
z
z
z
z
z
Touching a bat with your bare hands
Waking up with a bat in your bedroom
Bat found in a room with a sleeping child, or a mentally
impaired or intoxicated individual
Animal cannot be tested or observed for rabies
An estimated 40,000 PEPs are given in the US
each year.
A Word About Bat Bites
z
You cannot always tell if you have been
bitten by a bat
z Bats
have tiny razor-sharp teeth
z Bites tend to disappear within ½ hour
Big Brown Bat
PEP Vaccination Schedule
z
z
MUST be started within 10 days after exposure
PEP consists of a dose of human rabies immune
globulin and 5 doses of rabies vaccine
z
z
z
Persons who have previously received PEP or
pre-exposure vaccination only need 2 booster
doses
z
z
z
Vaccine given on day 0, 3, 7, 14 and 28
Given in the upper arm (NOT stomach)
Vaccine given on days 0 and 3
Immune globulin is not needed
Very expensive series of vaccinations
z
Usually covered by insurance
Total Number of Potential Human Rabies Exposure Investigations
Conducted by MCDH Communicable Disease Program By Year
From 2001 - August 23, 2007
110
104
Number of Investigations Conducted
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
29
30
25
20
8
10
2
4
4
2002
2003
0
2001
2004
2005
2006
2007*
Number of McHenry County Residents Requiring Rabies Prophylaxis Followng
Exposure to Various Animals By Year From 2001 - August 27, 2007*
N u m b er o f Perso n s R eq u irin g R ab ies PEP
30
25
20
Unknown Animal
Sheep/Goats
Racoons
Ferretts
Dogs
Bats
24
23
23
3
3
3
2
1
1
1
1
15
10
17
8
18
20
3
5
2
4
4
1
4
4
4
2002
2003
2
0
2001
2004
2005
2006
2007*
What’s Going on This Year?
z
z
z
Bats in public buildings
Animal exposures to bats
Statewide, 6.6% of submitted bat specimens
have tested positive for rabies
z
z
Last year, 3.5% of submitted bat specimens tested
positive for rabies
In McHenry County, 7.8% of submitted bat
specimens have tested positive for rabies.
z
1.6% of submitted bats tested positive last year.
Congress Street Bridge, Austin Texas
Animal Control’s
Role and Response
Pick up specimens from individuals
z Prepare and Submit specimens to the lab
z Monitor for results of specimens
z Share information on specimens and
possible exposures with Communicable
Disease Program
z Provide information to individuals on bat
proofing
z Dog and cat rabies vaccination program
z
Communicable Disease’s
Role and Response
Contact and interview individuals who have
submitted a bat specimen, who have called
in to report contact with a bat, who have had
a bat in their home or other public place
z Obtain as much information as possible to
determine type of exposure
z Contact State Veterinarian for treatment
recommendation if exposure has occurred
z Assist patient in getting treatment and follow
them through the course of treatment
z
Environmental
Role and Response
Follow up home and property owners to
ensure bats have been removed
z Transport specimens if needed
z Provide information on removal services
z
MCDH’s Ongoing Efforts
Education and Consultation for Health
Care providers and Emergency
Departments
z Education for the Public
z Education for School Nurses
z Bat Program for students K-5
z
Bat Proofing Your Home
z
Guides from IDPH and Bat Conservation
Questions?
Egyptian Fruit Bat