Vancouver Coastal Health has seen an increase in consultations regarding bat exposures, but risk of rabies is very low, medical health officer says.<\/p>\n
A West Vancouver visitor is urging caution after being bitten by a bat last week.<\/p>\n
Although fatal cases of rabies are rare in B.C., anyone bit by a bat should seek medical attention right away. And there has been an uptick in incidents reported to Vancouver Coastal Health.<\/p>\n
The visitor, who has requested to remain anonymous due to medical privacy concerns, said the incident played out Friday afternoon on the Whyte Lake Trail. He and his wife were walking their dogs when a black bat swooped in and bit his left hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought it was a bird at first,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Once realizing it was a bat, he quickly shook the animal off his hand and noticed a trail of blood.<\/p>\n
He then went to Lions Gate Hospital to get checked for rabies.<\/p>\n
Before Friday\u2019s incident, the man heard of similar bat encounters from friends in recent weeks.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t really realize how serious it was until I learned more about it,\u201d he said. \u201cI would have not done anything had I not heard about the importance of getting a rabies investigation right away.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Alex Choi, medical health officer for the North Shore, said there\u2019s been an increase in people getting checked after bat incidents this summer, but it\u2019s not unusual for this time of year.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is very consistent with what we typically see during the summer,\u201d Choi said. \u201cWhere there are more bats around and there are more humans doing outdoor activities and so as a result, there are more bats that come into contact with people on the North Shore.\u201d<\/p>\n
Choi said people have been coming in to get checked after coming into contact with bats on different trails around Metro Vancouver.<\/p>\n
She said it\u2019s hard to say whether the uptick in consultations is due to an increase in exposures or just more awareness around it, but contracting rabies is a low risk in B.C. Less than one per cent of bats carry rabies, she said and no other wild animals carry the virus in B.C.<\/p>\n
A big reason for that is the Rocky Mountains.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause there\u2019s that natural barrier there,\u201d Choi said. \u201cEven though you do find rabies in skunks or foxes in Ontario, they\u2019re not able to cross the Rocky Mountains and therefore rabies has not infected our local terrestrial mammals.\u201d<\/p>\n
In Canada, there have been 28 cases of rabies resulting in death since 1924. Only two have been in B.C., including a 21-year-old man from Vancouver Island who died from rabies in 2019 after coming in contact with a bat.<\/p>\n
Even with the low risk, Choi still urges people to get checked if they\u2019ve been in contact with a bat. That could be a bite, scratch or just the bat\u2019s body touching your skin.<\/p>\n
\u201cBites and scratches can be very difficult to see,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Once symptoms of rabies show, the virus is fatal. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, it can take three to eight weeks for flu-like symptoms to appear, including fever, tiredness, headaches and anxiety or irritability. The illness can worsen to include hallucinations, hyperactivity, and fear of water or fresh air.<\/p>\n
But promptly getting an injection of antibodies called immunoglobulin and multiple vaccines stop the virus.<\/p>\n
\u201cRabies is such a serious disease, we are very cautious and we treat every case where someone has come into contact with a bat,\u201d Choi said.<\/p>\n
Bats are more active from dusk to dawn. Choi suggested people install screens on their windows and doors to limit bat exposure risks and keep other insects like mosquitoes out.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe still want people to get outside and enjoy the outdoors,\u201d Choi said. \u201cVery few people overall who are outside \u2026 come into contact with a bat. But if you do, seek medical treatment and get an assessment.\u201d<\/p>\n
More information on rabies can be found on Vancouver Coastal Health\u2019s website.<\/p>\n
Abby Luciano is the Indigenous and civic affairs reporter for the North Shore News. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative<\/a>.<\/p>\n