KDHE Reminds Kansans What to Do When They Encounter Bats
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is providing guidance on what Kansans should do if they encounter a bat in their home. With warmer months bringing increased bat activity, KDHE has received numerous questions from concerned residents about proper bat handling, rabies risk, and when testing and rabies post-exposure treatment is necessary. Rabies in humans and many other animals is a fatal but preventable viral disease.
“Bats are an important part of Kansas’ ecosystem, but they are also one of the natural carriers of rabies. The good news is that most bat encounters do not pose a rabies risk,” said Dr. Erin Petro, KDHE State Public Health Veterinarian. “However, it’s important for Kansans to know how to assess whether they may have been exposed and what steps to take if exposure is possible.”
ASSESSING BAT EXPOSURE
The first step when you find a bat is to determine whether anyone, human or animal, had direct contact with it. This assessment is critical for determining next steps. If there was NO direct contact with a bat and the bat was not found in a room with a sleeping person, the situation is generally safe. The bat can be carefully captured and released outside.
However, if direct contact occurred, or if you woke up to find a bat in your bedroom, rabies testing may be necessary. Direct contact includes handling the bat with bare hands, a bat coming into contact with exposed skin, or the bat biting or scratching you. Bat bites can be small and difficult to notice, especially if someone was asleep when bitten.
If you are unsure whether your encounter with a bat means you were potentially exposed, contact your doctor, local health department, or the KDHE Epidemiology Hotline for guidance.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU FIND A BAT
If you find a bat in your home without direct contact to people or pets, you can safely capture and release it outside. This video shows how to safely capture a bat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNw6hkFEtOk.
To prevent future bat encounters, seal cracks, gaps, and other small openings around your home, as bats can squeeze into surprisingly tight spaces. Consider contacting a pest control company that offers bat control services.
If there was direct contact or if the bat was found in a sleeping person’s bedroom, the bat should be captured, humanly euthanized by your local animal shelter or veterinarian, and submitted for testing. Contact your local animal control, veterinarian, or local health department to coordinate testing. The only way to know if a bat has rabies is to have it tested. Testing is performed at the Kansas Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, and results are typically available within two business days.
RABIES POST-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS
If you had direct contact with a bat, such as handling the bat with bare hands or the bat biting or scratching exposed skin, rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) may be warranted to prevent rabies.
If the bat is available for testing, you do not need to start rabies PEP while waiting for test results. Testing is typically completed within 48 hours. If the bat tests positive for rabies or is unsuitable for testing, then PEP is recommended for anyone who had exposure. Rabies PEP is typically started and available in emergency departments across Kansas.
Additionally, if you woke to find a bat in your room or that of a sleeping child or another person who cannot reliably report whether contact occurred, and the bat is not available for testing, those individuals should receive rabies PEP.
Contact your healthcare provider, local emergency room, or local health department to discuss whether PEP is appropriate for your situation. If you are uncertain whether exposure occurred, contact your doctor, local health department, or the KDHE Epidemiology Hotline (877-427-7317, option 5 or email [email protected]) for assistance in assessing your situation.
For additional information about bats and rabies in Kansas, visit KDHE’s Bats in Kansas webpage.
View our infographic of what to do when you find a bat in your home — Bats, Rabies, and You.
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