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What To Do If A Bats Infects Your Home
Greensboro, NC -- Bats normally live in unused areas of a building or home, such as an attic, gutter or crawl space. If bats remain in these spaces and cannot access living spaces there is no immediate danger to occupants of the home.
But what if bats are found in the living areas of a home, especially a bedroom?
If there is a possibility the bats enter living spaces, there is a risk of exposure to rabies. Even though bats have a very low occurrence of rabies, according to the Smithsonian, even lower than foxes or skunks, residents of a home should take steps to protect themselves.
Bat bites would most likely occur at night when bats are awake. These bites are so minor you might not wake up, according to the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention.) Most bats teeth are so small the bite mark they leave quickly disappears.
If bats are found where people or pets sleep, these are the steps you should take:
1. Immediately move persons and pets in the home to a bat-free location outside, preferably in another building.
2. Try to contain the bat(s) by closing doors and windows but do not kill it
3. Call your local animal control office. In Guilford County, call 641-5990 or if after normal business hours, call 911. Dispatchers will contact the on-call Animal Control Officer. If possible, the bat will be captured and will be tested for rabies.
4. Contact your local health department for help evaluating risk of your exposure. In Guilford County, call 641-6500.
5. Contact a licensed professional exterminator for advice on reducing future exposures.
6. Do not go back in the home until you are certain all bats are excluded from the living area.
Bats do play an important role in our world's ecosystem, eating mosquitoes and other pesky insects.
Bats even help with tequila production, being a key pollinator of agave plants, one of the main ingredients in tequila production.
If you are bitten by any animal, immediately and thoroughly wash the wound with running soap and water and consult a physician.
Have your pet and barnyard animals vaccinated against rabies. A low-cost animal rabies vaccination clinic will be held on Saturday, July 9 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Summerfield Fire Department, 7400 Summerfield Road in Summerfield.
The vaccination is $5.00 per shot and is effective for one year.
North Carolina law requires that all domestic pets (cats, dogs and ferrets), whether living inside or outside, age four months or older be vaccinated.
If you have any questions about this information, please contact Guilford County Department of Public Health at 641-7777, Guilford County Animal Control office at 641-5990 or the state veterinary health program at 919-733-3410.
Credits: By Chelsi Zash - DigTriad.com
