Bat found in Ann Arbor apartment tests positive for rabies
A bat found dead in the bedroom of an Ann Arbor apartment has tested positive for rabies, the Washtenaw County Public Health Department said today.
The health department also recommended that three people who may have come in contact with the bat receive rabies treatment, said Susan Cerniglia, a health educator and public information officer for the department.
It’s the second bat in the county to test positive for rabies in 2011. Two bats brought to the health department in 2010 tested positive for rabies, and none tested positive in 2009.
The incident serves as a good reminder that it’s bat season, Cerniglia said.
“It’s a good reminder that bats can harbor rabies and we need to be cautious,” Cerniglia said. “If there’s contact, or any concern a person may have been bitten, we need to make sure the case is reviewed and that vaccination is recommended if indicated.”
When a bat is found in sleeping quarters and it isn’t clear whether people have had contact with it, the department will recommend treatment for rabies, she said.
The regimen includes doses of immune globulin and four doses of rabies vaccine over two weeks. Treatment also might be needed if the animal can’t be found but exposure is a possibility.
The bat was brought to health department for testing last week, Cerniglia said.
In April, an Ann Arbor man brought a bat in for testing to the department after he sat on it by mistake and the animal bit him.
The bat was euthanized and sent to the Michigan Department of Community Health for testing. Tests showed rabies was present.
To make a report or ask questions about a bat encounter, call the health department at 734-544-6700. Evenings, weekends and holidays, a communicable disease on-call nurse is available at 734-891-4327.
Juliana Keeping covers general assignment and health and the environment for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at julianakeeping@annarbor.com or 734-623-2528. Follow Juliana Keeping on Twitter
Comments
Tru2Blu76
Fri, Jul 29, 2011 : 2:13 a.m.
@a2grateful: You speak in past tense referring to "hundreds if not thousands" of bats flying out of the smokestack at 415 W. Washington. There may have been bats in / at the location at one time, but this evening (9:10 PM, 7-28-2011) I observed only a few dozen (at most a few score) - swallows - swirling over that smokestack. Swallows do look like bats when flying in low light ( at dusk) but their wings are back-curved and distinctly different in overall shape. Swallow wing beats also differ from those of bats - though they are similar. I observed and photographed these birds over a period of about 10 minutes - they are definitely swallows, not bats. I did not see any bats or birds fly out of or in to that smokestack but those swallows did fly around and over it several times. Looks like those swallows may nest and roost in that smokestack or in some other place in that old County Maintenance Building.
Ann English
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 11:55 p.m.
I thought you'd give us the following video online location so we could all learn more about catching bats and keeping them out of our homes: <a href="http://www.batcon.org/index.php/bats-a-people/removing-a-bat.html" rel='nofollow'>www.batcon.org/index.php/bats-a-people/removing-a-bat.html</a>. I think it was cited with the annarbor.com article describing the first rabid bat found in Washtenaw County this year.
AA
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 7:27 p.m.
Why does this site give news with out any relevent information?
LindaE
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 1:34 p.m.
I think everyone needs to realize both the benefits and risks of bats. I lived in a house on the Old West Side and once "woke up" (in quotes because I didn't know until after I truly woke up and my husband told me that I was screaming, and had thrown myself out of bed, hitting the dresser in the process, with a bruise in the morning to prove it) to find a bat circling overhead. Once we had opened windows and the door to let it out, I wondered what had happened to make me scream in that way. I looked in the mirror and found two little marks on my forehead. Claws or teeth, I didn't know, but I got myself to the hospital for shots.... which, by the way, are not too bad, as they are not given in the stomach anymore.
Sallyxyz
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 1:33 p.m.
I lived in an apartment 10 years ago in an older building on the west side. I woke up in the middle of the night with a bat flying around in the bedroom and was advised by the UM hospital to get the rabies vaccination treatment and not wait for an analysis of the bat. The shots were inconvenient but no big deal. The bat later turned out to be positive for rabies. Landlords around town need to be sure their rental properties are properly sealed around the windows and along roof lines, etc. Many rental properties in the central campus area are in older homes, and many are run down. The property I lived in at the time was an older home converted to apartments that had not only the bat issue, but squirrels living in the attic (who also ran through the ceilings of various apartments) and mice in the basement. More city inspection is needed of the rental properties in A2 in general to be sure they provide safe housing.
treetowncartel
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 3:25 p.m.
Loose screens are an easy access for sure.
mkm17
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 12:59 p.m.
Good post, 81 wolverine! Over 20 years ago our son, then 1, was bitten by a bat. The ER doc at SJMH told us he did not think a bat was likely to carry rabies, and sent us home. The following morning our son's pediatrician (wisely) started rabies vaccine on our son. A few days later the result came in that the bat was rabid.
Jimmy McNulty
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 12:39 p.m.
If your bat gets near me, I will end your bat.
John B.
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 12:51 p.m.
A little late with that, but we get it....
aaudubon
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 11:59 a.m.
For sure if you've come into contact with a bat you should get treatments, because although the chances of rabies are actually pretty rare, it's serious. But keep in mind - bats, unlike other animals, get sick so quick from rabies that they often cannot fly and die within a day. So if a bat is on the floor, it definitely may be sick. If it flew into your house and is trying to escape back outside - it is almost a given that it is healthy. Also, only 0.5% of bats carry rabies. Raccoons for example are much more likely to carry rabies, and can be up and active while infected for weeks. And, I used to work with bats at a conservation office, and can say that really, most bats could care less about you and would only bite if you tried to pick them up (or sat on them). Pretty unlikely they would seek out a sleeping person to bite them.
Sallyxyz
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 1:35 p.m.
The bat bites can be very subtle and would be impossible to tell if you had been bitten while you were sleeping. The recommendation is to get the rabies vaccine if you wake up with a live bat flying around in a bedroom. There is no way to tell if a bat has rabies just by looking at it.
a2girl
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 2:05 a.m.
rabies - You did the right thing. For all of you who do not take this seriously read the following : <a href="http://www.wemsi.org/rabies.html" rel='nofollow'>http://www.wemsi.org/rabies.html</a>.
John B.
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 12:53 p.m.
No one is saying he didn't do the right thing, but this nonsense about mega-fear of bats is ridiculous. I'd worry more about the raccoons (if I worried about this stuff at all, which I don't, because I have much more important stuff to worry about). Raccoons are much more likely to have rabies. Should we be freaked out about them? I think not.
John B.
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 1:37 a.m.
You nattering nabobs of negativism crack me up. The sky is falling! The sky is falling! Bats are everywhere. We see them almost every evening in our neighborhood, catching zillions of mosquitoes. They roost in our overhangs occasionally. Nothing to freak out over. Don't sit on one, I guess.... ..and we had one in our home once. Somehow, it got in through the fireplace. We (very) carefully caught it and released it outside. No big deal.
joe golder
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 11:42 p.m.
I hope everyone doesn't run out and buy a used tennis racket tomorrow. I have several bat houses and will be more vigilant.
City Confidential
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 10:48 p.m.
Bats are extremely beneficial creatures and I appreciate the work they do to keep the mosquito population down, but you should know that if your bat is rabid, and it comes anywhere near me or my child, I will end your bat.
John B.
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 12:49 p.m.
LOL - well-played....
WhyCan'tWeBeFriends
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 7:06 a.m.
And that's OK. You have every right to protect your family and yourself. A bat coming at you is never good - something wrong there.
Epengar
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 8:51 p.m.
Bat Conservation International has a useful set of pages on how to get bats out of buildings <a href="http://www.batcon.org/index.php/bats-a-people/bats-in-buildings/" rel='nofollow'>http://www.batcon.org/index.php/bats-a-people/bats-in-buildings/</a> they have a video too: <a href="http://www.batcon.org/index.php/bats-a-people/removing-a-bat.html" rel='nofollow'>http://www.batcon.org/index.php/bats-a-people/removing-a-bat.html</a>
TruBlue
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 8:06 p.m.
I realize this isn't a big deal but people need to be aware. Most fatal rabies cases in humans are caused by bats. There is no cure for rabies after symptoms develop. Get treatment as soon as possible. All mammals can carry rabies.
Washtenaw County Public Health
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 7:44 p.m.
This document is available on our website and provides the general location of animals that have tested positive for rabies in recent years: <a href="http://www.ewashtenaw.org/government/departments/public_health/phcontent/rabies_map03-08.pdf" rel='nofollow'>http://www.ewashtenaw.org/government/departments/public_health/phcontent/rabies_map03-08.pdf</a>. Since the map was updated, there have been four positive tests: two in 2009 and two so far in 2011. More is available at: <a href="http://www.ewashtenaw.org/government/departments/public_health/disease_control/bitesrabies" rel='nofollow'>http://www.ewashtenaw.org/government/departments/public_health/disease_control/bitesrabies</a>. -Susan Cerniglia Washtenaw County Public Health
joe golder
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 11:33 p.m.
Thank you Susan!
lynel
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 8:48 p.m.
Now was that so hard?
rabies
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 7:39 p.m.
I am the person who found the bat. The apartment is located near the intersection of Glen and Fuller, by the hospital. The bat was found dead in a bedroom where we'd been sleeping. Bat's bites are not substantial, and can bite sleeping people without them ever knowing it. Additionally, there may be have been guano or something else that we came into contact with. We were concerned enough to get it tested, and it amazingly turned out to have rabies. We all have begun the treatment regimen without any problems, just to be safe.
a2citizen
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 11:53 p.m.
Tesla: "...You city dwellers crack me up...", then "...still as scary...big needles????" At least city dwellers aren't afraid of needles.
rabies
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 8:33 p.m.
The treatment was very easy. 4 shots in the backside on the first visit, and 1 shot during each of 4 visits over the next 2 weeks. The shots aren't pleasant, but they are nothing to be that worried about.
liekkio
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 7:57 p.m.
Thank you for posting. I hope you and your family will be OK.
Tesla
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 7:41 p.m.
Is the treatment still as scary as it used to be with the big needles????
Beth Kirton
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 7:18 p.m.
Bats are scary. Just sayin.
Wolf's Bane
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 11:51 a.m.
Without Bats are bug problem would be out of control and you'd have west Nile virus.
WhyCan'tWeBeFriends
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 7:04 a.m.
We once had one isolated to a room with the window fully open. We had the traditional tennis racket in hand and hoodies on our bodies, and when the bat was approached and prodded, it practically meowed out of fear. It flew out the window with a little prodding. An adventure that ended well.
Tesla
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 7:37 p.m.
Lol. It's pretty spooky when they are fluttering past you in the house when you're trying to capture them. They don't make a sound. And they have a big wing span too. But you want them on the move. When they land you can never find them. They are about half the size of a pack of cigarettes.
a2grateful
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 7:14 p.m.
My favorite bat observation place on a2's WS was the smokestack at 415 W. Washington Street, the site of the former city maintenance yard. I've seen hundreds, if not thousands of bats pour out of that stack at dusk and beyond. . . Very cool!
WhyCan'tWeBeFriends
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 7 a.m.
It's quite a sight to see them emerge for the night, guaranteed. My initial education on this was in Pennsylvania, with lots of barns in the area.
pvitaly
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 7:26 p.m.
Maybe Batman was calling them to come out and play?
Dave Lehman
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 7:05 p.m.
I lived for 10 years in an apartment on the West Side. Every couple of years I'd get one inside. No big deal, but since fear drives the media, it's time for everyone to GET OUT of the West Side.
Wolf's Bane
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 6:28 p.m.
Just leave the bats alone... okay!!!
Tesla
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 6:22 p.m.
You city dwellers crack me up. It's one bat in Ann Arbor and several posters need to know where it was? Theres probably ten million bats in Washtenaw county folks. Take a chill pill. I live in the country in a 120 year old home and like an earlier poster said, we also get 1-2 bats a year in the house. Bats are beneficial animals and eat their body weight in insects each night. The only danger they pose is any build up of their guano, or excrement. That can be very dangerous especially to those with asthma, COPD or breathing issues. A few cases of rabies a year is nothing to get excited about.
Tesla
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 7:32 p.m.
I get that. But the facts are that you should always be aware of invasive critters and or sick animals. I'd bet all my money that you have an animal with rabies within 100 yards of you at this very moment. Relax. Theres nothing you can do about it.
Themadcatter
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 7:19 p.m.
I have no personal concern about bats in general, I know they are beneficial. I frequently hear them at night flying above my home in Ypsi. But if one has been identified as having rabies, then there might possibly be others in the same area. It would be beneficial to know the approx. location just to be more alert and perhaps more vigilant in keeping our pets indoors at night and keeping an eye on wild critters like raccoons for any signs of rabies.
Buster W.
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 6:10 p.m.
I grew up in a 100+ year old house and I remember waking up one night to the flutter of two bats in my bedroom. We would usually get 1-2 a year in the house, and it soon became more of an inconvenience (getting them out of the house) than anything else. We would open all the doors...eventually they would leave.
noreaster
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 6:08 p.m.
Ms. Cerniglia, I can appreciate your concern for individual privacy and for the owner of the apartment complex who could be unfairly targeted but, as an Ann Arbor resident, I would appreciate knowing in general terms where the bat was found. Given that police reports provide street name and block number you could probably safely do the same. If you feel that is too specific then you could provide the names of nearest major cross streets without violating the individual privacy of anyone involved. Please do so for the benefit of all Ann Arbor citizens.
WhyCan'tWeBeFriends
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 6:57 a.m.
Bats are everywhere and you should be glad they are! They eat huge numbers of insects each night they are out (think mosquitoes) and are not the stereotypical nightmares they are portrayed to be. Sometimes they are rabid, like dogs, cats, raccoons, fox, etc. They really get a bad rap. If you fear them in your house, put up a bat box somewhere on your property, about 25 feet from the ground - they'll use it.
trs80
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 6:31 p.m.
Or you could just assume that bats are located throughout Ann Arbor and you have the same chances as everyone else coming in contact with one.
Old Salt
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 5:39 p.m.
Im what area of Ann Arbor was the bat found ? It would be good to know that
Tru2Blu76
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 8:10 p.m.
Bats: with and without rabies are found throughout Ann Arbor. I personally know of one downtown building which became a haven for them: bats were flying up and down the hallways. (I rescued one and took it outside.) The building management took prompt action to close off access to human habitable spaces. No bat problem there since.
John B.
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 1:34 a.m.
What trs80 said....
trs80
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 6:34 p.m.
In the area of a few homes. Between that one street and the other.
smokeblwr
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 5:20 p.m.
It is very common to have bats in your house. I've had bats in my belfry for years. You wouldn't know they are there unless they found their way down the walls from the attic and into the basement.
treetowncartel
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 3:22 p.m.
Actually, I lived in a house and the bats crawled down from the attic to the basement. You could hear them in the walls.
WhyCan'tWeBeFriends
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 6:52 a.m.
Bats fly up - appreciate your humor nonetheless. Do I get a prize like spotting the fake ad in the Ann Arbor Observer?
obviouscomment
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 5:01 p.m.
i didn't know it was that common for bats to get inside a person's home. and wouldn't you feel it if they bite you? i'm just curious, because i've never heard of experiences like this before except for in movies. i would appreciate a follow up with more information about what to look for.
Tru2Blu76
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 8:06 p.m.
Apartment management should know about "bat proofing" the apartment building. Unfortunately, it's the rarity of the phenomenon which keeps people unaware of the possibility. The appearance of bats inside a building may or may not indicate whether or not the bats have found a way in. Usually, that's only determined after the bats have made repeated appearances inside.
treetowncartel
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 7:48 p.m.
@bunnyabbot, I think the person that told me that meant more like a gauge, no CO2 or radon. Kind of like the presence of frogs being a gauge for good water. I would agree that letting them stick around and make mounds of guano are not good, unless you are recycling and using it for perhaps your caregiver operations.
bunnyabbot
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 5:50 p.m.
@a2 grateful, it's not only the bites it can just be a scratch from their feet or wings, any of those you might not know you were scraped.
bunnyabbot
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 5:48 p.m.
it is not common for them to get in but they do, they can wonder in through small areas, catching them and releasing them will just insure they will find the same way in again, you could end up catching and releasing the same bat over and over again if you don't find the way they are getting in and blocking it. @ treetown, Idon't know who told you the air quality was good if bats were roosting in your attic. Maybe they meant there was good circulation and the bats came it. I would challange in that the air quality was low, all that bat guano wouldn't be a good thing, I would think that would make the air quality low (that is bad for a human to breathe). I know someone that had to have the top of their house removed,litterally, roof, trusses etc removed and redone b.c of guano, then they had to remove all the drywall and a lot of studs because guano had worked it's way down into the rest of the house. Basically they had to rebuild the house!
a2grateful
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 5:18 p.m.
If you're sleeping, you may or may not know of a bite. Bats have very sharp teeth, and don't cause much pain with their bite. you could easily sleep through a bite. If a bat has been in a room where you've slept, catch it and have it tested.
treetowncartel
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 5:07 p.m.
Bats love roosting in attics, and can get in the tiniest of holes. Once they are in the house they can get just about anywhere. I've also been told that bats in the attic mean the air quality in the house is good.
81wolverine
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 4:46 p.m.
Bats are extremely beneficial animals eating close to their own weight in mosquitoes each night. Whenever one is found on the ground or not flying inside a building, it's almost always because they're sick. Obviously, like any wild animal, they should not be touched. But, I'm glad to see the County health department is not issuing the "scare tactic" quotes about bats like they used to.
Themadcatter
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 4:44 p.m.
Where in Ann Arbor is this apartment?
John B.
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 1:33 a.m.
"The public's right now is paramount. Shame on you." Huh? I think I know what you are trying to say, but I'm not sure from your words. Bats are everywhere. We see them almost every evening in our neighborhood, catching zillions of mosquitos. They roost in our overhangs occasionally. Nothing to freak out over. Don't sit on one, I guess.... ..and we had one in our home once. Somehow, it got in through the fireplace. We (very) carefully caught it and released it outside. No big deal.
godsbreath64
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 6:04 p.m.
The public's right now is paramount. Shame on you.
bunnyabbot
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 5:41 p.m.
@ Susan, I am assuming themadcatter meant a general idea of neighborhood, specific apartments is not necessary, a general area would be helpful. That is bats general stay around the same area.
Susan Cerniglia
Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 5:35 p.m.
As the article indicates, the apartment is located in Ann Arbor. Established privacy guidelines prevent the health department from releasing identifying information about individuals. - Susan Cerniglia, Washtenaw County Public Health