Arriving in the mail...

last week was USGS Circular 1329: Bat Rabies and Other Lyssavirus Infections. A copy of the excellent publication can be downloaded free of charge (3.9 MB .pdf file).

According to the data contained in the report, there were 51 cases of rabies transmitted from bats to humans in the US and Canada from 1951 to 2006, a rate slightly less than one per year. Compare that with the number of deaths associated with infant carriers, where the CDC reports that 26 toddlers died between 1986 and 1991, a rate of more than four per year.

This is not an attempt to minimize the danger of acquiring rabies as it has always (with only three exceptions world wide) been fatal. Indeed, I have been inoculated with the rabies vaccine since I regularly handled bats with my late wife who was a bat biologist. But it does seem that public health officials and the media overhype the threat of rabid bats each and every summer. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that raccoons, skunks and foxes are the greater threat.

The bottom line: if you encounter a wild animal that allows you to approach it while on the ground, then it is likely unhealthy and should be left alone. More importantly, teach your kids to call an adult if they encounter any animal in the wild.

Remember: bats need friends.