Expert stresses rabies amongst bats is extremely rare

Mother of rabies victim speaks out The mother and sister of a Vancouver Island man who died after contracting rabies are speaking out for the first time.

After the death of a 21-year-old man on Vancouver Island who came into contact with a bat sick with rabies, a wildlife biologist says he thinks the rate of infection in the creatures is likely less than one per cent.

Christian Engelstoft works with a non-profit organization called Habitat Acquisition Trust. In conjunction with the BC Bat project, they locate and monitor bat roosts and share their findings. He told CTV News the rate of infection among bats tested is about 13 per cent. However, he pointed out that’s not a representative sample because most of the bats tested are sick. Engelstoft believes the rate is lower than one per cent.

Vancouver has about 10 species, and two distinct groups. One roosts in trees, the others in cavities such as boxes. The expert added the bats are small, and typically have tiny teeth. Incisions may be hard to see, and you may not even know you’ve been bitten.

Engelstoft warned people to stay away from bats and said anyone who does come into contact with one should seek medical attention right away.

“You should never touch wildlife by a rule, and bats in particular,” he said. “There’s always a risk the bat you see could be rabid.”

Engelstoft said that may be more likely if you see non-typical behaviour, like flying during the day.

“They hide during the day. They basically sleep – or congregate in their day roost.”

If you come across a bat in your home, Engelstoft warns your first step should be to put on gloves. Then he suggested you trap the bat in a box, covering it with paper. He said to set the box down outside, where it would be free from predators and eventually fly away.

While there’s a tendency to think of bats as large, blood-thirsty animals thanks to Hollywood movies, Engelstoft said only three species feast on blood, and none of them are in the Northern hemisphere. He adds the misunderstood mammals are actually essential to the ecosystem because of what they do feed on.

“A lot of these insects are what we consider pests so they will help us with controlling pests.”