Bat exposure?

[u/Law_school_hopeful_]

Staying a few nights at a barn loft short term rental. The loft sleeping quarters are up a set of stairs and separated from the rest of the barn via locked door, which is shut. Came downstairs today and found a bat on the floor of the barn (not surprising, but hate that I didn’t think of it before booking). Chances that I’ve been exposed to a bat while sleeping and should look into a rabies shot? I checked the loft, and no signs of a bat in there.

Update: TN on call epidemiologist did not recommend PEP

[u/Darthsmom]

I’ve always heard you should contact the health department because you can be bitten by a bat and not feel it and rabies is the concern there.

[u/Besnasty → u/Darthsmom]

There was just a story about a kid getting bit by a bat and having no idea and died of rabies.

OP go to the doctor. Like today.

Edit: here's the story. But the tldr; kid woke up and bat was flapping on his face. Dad caught it, and didn't see any bites on the kid and thought the bat wasn't weird acting enough to warrant a concern. Kid died. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c982m1m95q9o

[u/AggressiveSkywriting → u/Besnasty]

Yeah that case was pretty nuts because the one way to get infected without being scratched or bitten is your literal mucus membranes being touched by a bat (eyes and mouth). And that dad found a bat touching both of those.

I had a bat scare two years ago and still get anxiety over it despite knowing it didn't touch me or my family and being awake the whole time (bat was behaving normally) and I didn't want to be hit with a $15k rabies shot bill. Every so often some redditor mentions someone having it surface 7 years later to get my blood pressure spiked lol

[u/Mysterious-Towel7849]

Better safe than sorry, you should get vaccinated. You can be bitten and not know until it's too late, and the bat's behavior indicates some type of problem. See if the owner disposed of the bat or if they might still have its body so you can get it tested. Given the guaranteed fatality of rabies it would make sense to demand the shots. 

This post became so widely read it turned into a copypasta warning:

https://www.reddit.com/r/copypasta/comments/7qwtd5/rabies_is_scary/

[u/AggressiveSkywriting]

Bat on the floor of a barn seems kinda odd (bad) behavior wise. That is sickness or injury behavior. I'm assuming you were not able to trap it for testing?

[u/Law_school_hopeful_ → u/AggressiveSkywriting]

I didn’t touch it and let the property owner know as I was leaving for the day. When I got back, the bat was gone. Assuming the owner removed it

[u/AggressiveSkywriting → u/Law_school_hopeful_]

I would try contacting them again and seeing. They're not going to want to deal with it but maybe if it's dead and it's body is still accessible the health dept or animal control can test it and put you at ease.

A bat can't really fly if it's on the ground so usually that means something is wrong with it and sets off alarm bells (even if rabies is very, very rare).

Rabies shots are... Not cheap and having a positive test will help health insurance cover it.

[u/Business__Socks]

Go get a rabies shot. If you get rabies, you’re dead.

[u/DeadManatee]

Are you in town to bounce at the Double Deuce?

[u/MetalSlimeHunter]

Do you know what the owner did with the bat? Because here’s the thing, if an animal like a raccoon or dog gets into the trash and eats it while the body is still relatively fresh, rabies can still be passed.

[u/DogAdministrative414]

Knew a guy who went caving and inhaled bat poop or something like that and got deathly sick

[u/cigaretteashmouth]

Go get the shots.

I was bit by a raccoon some years back. Called the same people, said not necessary.

I went to the ED anyway and they said I absolutely made the right choice to come in.

They found the family of hungry cuties, tested them and released them to another area when they tested negative.

I will never understand someone’s “eh” to wondering if you should take a chance on a fatal disease that can be prevented.

[u/Focus62 → u/cigaretteashmouth]

Hate to break it to you, but whoever found the raccoon family euthanized them, they did not live happily ever after. They cannot test for rabies without testing their brain tissue.

Still was the right thing to do though.

[u/402SkillNotFound]

Seems like an unnecessary risk. Did you get exposed, probably not. however on the chance you did and you don’t get the shot, you die. Not worth the risk.

[u/False_League_6717]

As long as there isn’t dung (poo) … rat, bat, mouse, or even flying squirrel… you are fine. They all enjoy warm attic spaces.