31 Jul 2020
Association issues warning to primary care vets in small animal practice, as Defra updates statistics on rabies in bats to show 11 cases since 2011.
Paul Imrie
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Release of latest information by Defra on bats testing positive for rabies has prompted the BSAVA to issue a reminder to vets about safe handling.
Defra has just updated its statistics, which show 11 cases of rabies found in bats since 2018. A case in Wimborne, Dorset has been recorded in 2020, but the town, other parts of the county, East Lothian, Peterborough and Northumberland have had infected bats since 2018.
Bats can carry a number of pathogens, including European bat lyssaviruses (EBLVs) 1 and 2, also referred to as bat rabies.
The rabies virus is present in the saliva of bats, and is usually spread to humans or other mammals by the bite. It can also enter the body via wounds or the mucous membranes.
Risk of human transmission is considered low, but anyone handling bats is at an increased risk and should be vaccinated against rabies if they handle them regularly.
The BSAVA said anyone not vaccinated should assume all bats are potential carriers, so should wear gloves of suitable thickness and avoid bites and scratches. Further information is available from the Bat Conservation Trust website.
Any vet bitten or scratched, or exposed to saliva or nervous tissue, while handling a bat should seek immediate medical advice, with the contact area washed with soap and water and wounds disinfected. Further information on this is available from the APHA, Public Health England or NHS websites.
In 2008, a case involving an injured bat carrying EBLV type 2 was treated by a vet and her staff, who were unaware of the potential of rabies risk from bats. The bat handlers had previously been vaccinated as recommended by the Department of Health, but despite sustaining a needlestick injury during surgery, the vet and her staff had neither sought nor received post-exposure prophylaxis.
Ian Ramsey, president of the BSAVA, said: “Although this case was 12 years ago it is a pertinent reminder of why we need to be well-prepared when handling bats.
“While the risk of human rabies infection from bats is low, the publication of the new statistics shows that EBLVs are circulating in a small number of wild bats. Injured bats are often presented to small animal vets, so we have taken this opportunity to remind our members and others of the potential risks of rabies transmission, and how to mitigate against these.”
