Laura Horton, from Mossley Hill, didn’t realise the dangers when she picked up the bat in her hand
11:37, 14 Jul 2026Updated 11:37, 14 Jul 2026
The personal trainer from Mossley Hill was on a two-week birthday trip to Lesbos, Greece(Image: Laura Horton / SWNS)
A woman from Liverpool was bitten by a bat on holiday in Greece. Laura Horton, 53, from Mossley Hill, requested advice for rabies treatment when she was on her two-week birthday trip to Lesbos in May.
The personal trainer shared her experience after she found a bat drowning in the swimming pool at the apartment complex where she was visiting a friend. Laura picked up the animal from the water and let it sit in her hand for 10 minutes to “dry off”. She was unaware it had bitten her before flying away.
It was AI tool “Google Lens” which warned Laura of the risks, and suggested she underwent treatment for rabies.
The 53-year-old wanted to know what type of bat she had rescued, so she uploaded a photo of it sitting in the palm of her hand to Google Lens. As well as identifying it as a pipistrelle bat, it alerted her to seek medical treatment immediately due to the risk of contracting rabies from handling the animal.
According to the NHS website, rabies is a rare but serious infection that is usually caught from an infected animal’s bite or scratch, and it is almost always fatal once symptoms appear.
She grabbed the animal from the water and let it sit in her hand for 10 minutes to “dry off”(Image: Laura Horton / SWNS)
She claimed Google Lens warned her that she would be unable to feel a bat bite as their teeth are too small, and on closer inspection, Laura noticed two tiny pin-prick bite marks.
Laura went to the Hospital of Mytilene, Lesbos, the following day, on May 8, where she started a course of preventative rabies post-exposure vaccines.
She had a total of three jabs in Greece, followed by her fourth and final jab when she returned to the UK in June 1 at the School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool.
Laura spoke to Talk to the Press about the experience. She said: “I had no idea you could catch rabies from a bat. I grabbed it from the water on instinct because it was drowning – I had no idea of the risks.
“It sat on my hand for about 10 minutes, drying off. We all thought it looked cute, so I took a photo of it.”
After uploading the image to Google Lens to determine the species of bat, Laura was met with a series of questions from the AI tool. She said: “It started asking questions like, ‘Are those your hands?’ and ‘Have you washed your hands for 15 minutes after handling it?’
“It warned me of the risk of rabies and said I wouldn’t feel a bite, as their teeth are too small. I thought it was all a bit dramatic. But when I took a photo of my hand, I saw two tiny bite marks.”
Laura Horton, 53, was bitten by the bat she rescued from the swimming pool(Image: Laura Horton / SWNS)
Laura was four days into her two-week holiday in Petra in Lesbos, with friends when she was bitten. She rang her insurance company which confirmed she should seek medical attention.
She needed to undergo a course of rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) – a life-saving treatment given immediately after a potential bite or scratch from a rabid animal.
Later that day, Laura went to the Lesbos hospital but claims a language barrier nearly prevented her from getting the correct treatment.
She said: “At first, they tried to send me away with antibiotics. I’m not sure they understood what happened. I was sent to a travel clinic, and a nurse was furious I hadn’t been given the first dose yet. I went back to the hospital and found the infectious diseases department – they were brilliant.”
She returned on May 11 and May 15 for two more jabs in Greece and had a fourth when she returned to the UK on June 1.
She said: “My GP didn’t actually know what to do. Luckily, we have the School of Tropical Medicine in Liverpool, and I was able to get my fourth injection arranged with them very easily.
“I later found out there is a dedicated rabies hotline in the UK that would have delivered it to my doctor’s surgery. It was lucky Google Lens told me to go to hospital – who knows what might have happened.
“I read the tragic case about the boy in Canada who died after a bat landed on his face. A lot of people aren’t aware of the dangers of these wild animals and the risks. Hopefully I can help raise awareness.”
Rabies is found throughout the world, but it’s very rare in the UK. Rabies is spread by mammals, such as dogs, bats, raccoons and foxes. In the UK, it’s only found in some bats.
You should get medical attention immediately if:
you’ve been bitten or scratched by an animal while you’re abroad.an animal has licked your eyes, nose or mouth, or licked a wound you have, while you’re abroad.you’ve been bitten or scratched by a bat in the UK.
If you’re abroad, get medical help as soon as possible. Do not wait until you get back to the UK.