A Virginia doctor said she woke from a bad dream only to pull a bat out of her mouth.
Here's what to know
Dr. Krista Edelman, a gastroenterologist with Richmond Gastroenterology Associates, said she was asleep beside her husband when she woke up and felt something soft in her mouth and pulled a bat out by the fur on its back, WWBT reported.
"I was dreaming that there was a little mouse trying to get into my mouth. And I was in nice slumber. And then in my dream, I was reaching up to my mouth. And when I did, I grabbed something, and ultimately I had folded the bat's wings back," Edelman said.
@kristaedelmanmd A bat tried to crawl into my mouth while I was sleeping. Yes, you read that correctly. This was one of those very strange situations where I went from thinking I was dreaming to realizing very quickly that this was, in fact, happening. Thankfully, we were able to safely get the bat contained and animal control came to pick it up for testing. Because I had direct contact and hadn't previously been vaccinated against rabies, I went to the ER and started the rabies vaccine series and received immunoglobulin. So, a little PSA from your local Richmond doctor: if you live in an older home, check those attics and chimneys! And if you wake up with a bat in the room and aren't sure whether you had contact with it, don't assume you're fine. It's worth getting medical advice right away!!!
♬ original sound - kristaedelmanmd
Her husband woke to her screams and proceeded to trap the bat so it could be tested for rabies. Edelman also shared her story on TikTok, where her video reached more than 3,000 views.
More background
Edelman called Dr. Nate Warner, an infectious disease doctor at Virginia Commonwealth University, who explained that exposure close to the brain could accelerate the rate of transmission, according to WWBT.
Since Richmond Animal Control had recorded at least five rabies-positive bats in Richmond and Henrico this year, Edelman went to St. Mary's Hospital after work.
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Dr. Adam Landsee, medical director of St. Mary's Emergency Department, told WWBT the rabies vaccine is a four-shot series with immunoglobulin that "treats active rabies virus in the body before the vaccine can make enough antibodies in your body to fight the rabies infection."
The bat tested negative.
"Bat teeth are very small," Landsee told WWBT. "And so it's a very small pin prick, and you may not feel the bite and there may not be any wounds there."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Virginia Department of Health do not require a visible bite or injury for a patient to receive treatment since rabies is fatal once symptoms develop.
Julia Murphy, state public health veterinarian with the Virginia Department of Health, said bat encounters are up this year, per WWBT, but the number of bats testing positive for rabies has not increased.
The startling encounter is a reminder that wildlife run-ins do not always happen deep in the woods. Sometimes, they happen at home — even in bed.
What is being done?
"We should never proactively remove [bats] from the environment," Murphy said, according to WWBT.
If you're in a bat predicament, try to safely capture the mammal in a container while wearing gloves.
If you're uncomfortable doing so, don't let it escape. Close doors and windows, and block gaps underneath doors since bats can fit through very small openings, the outlet noted.
Murphy said if a bat colony is found in a home or you come across a bat that appears sick, orphaned, or injured do not handle the situation directly and contact animal protection services or the health department immediately.
The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources maintains a list of licensed wildlife rehabilitators and wildlife trappers and has a safety checklist for handling a bat inside a home.
Where can I learn more?
Finding a bat in your house can be unsettling. When there's direct contact, it can raise urgent health concerns.
• In Snohomish County, three residents needed treatment after a rabid bat flew into their home.
• Scientists found bats' diets can have a profound effect on disease spillover to humans.
• In Brazil, pesticide-linked bat deaths will inevitably reach humans, researchers warned.
• Near a Ugandan national park, cameras recorded an unbelievable encounter involving infectious bats and predators.
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