Health Issues with Bats: Rabies, Histoplasmosis, and Parasites

HomeWildlife & HabitatA Guide to the Bats of VirginiaHealth Issues with Bats: Rabies, Histoplasmosis, and ParasitesRabiesAs with other mammals including skunks, raccoons, fox, and domestic dogs, bats can carry rabies. Rabies is a viral disease that affects the nervous system of mammals including humans and is the most important public health problem concerning bats.Rabies is usually transmitted by the bite of an animal, but in a few rare cases may be transmitted from the saliva of an infected mammal into the eyes, nose, mouth, or wound of another mammal. Because rabies is a fatal disease, all wild mammals should be viewed from a distance and treated as “wild animals.”Typically, a wild animal will not attack a human unless cornered or provoked. Occasionally, a bat may be found on the ground or spotted hanging in a tree or bush. In either circumstance do not try to pick the bat up. Any bat that appears to be “acting abnormal” should be treated with caution and left alone.If a bat is in a...