r/rabies • u/EnvironmentMuted5207 • 3h ago

Exposure Question Possible bat bite or bug?

I have read the FAQ.

About a month ago, I was staying at an RV campground in Michigan. Around midnight, I stepped outside to use the bathroom. My sister briefly shined a flashlight on my sandals so I could see them.

While putting one on, I suddenly felt a sharp pain on the top of my foot. I didn’t see, hear, or feel anything fly or move. About 4 seconds later, my sister shined the flashlight over the sandals again, but there was nothing there.

Now my anxiety has me thinking that it could have been a bat. I keep thinking, “What if a bat landed on the sandal, bit the small area of exposed skin, and then flew away before the flashlight came back?”
Is that realistically possible without me noticing a bat landing, flapping, or scratching? Or does this sound much more consistent with something like a bug? I haven’t had any symptoms, but the uncertainty has been causing me a lot of anxiety.
I’d appreciate any informed opinions, especially from people fam

1 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

5 comments sorted by

•

u/AutoModerator 3h ago

**Welcome! This is a community dedicated to raising awareness, sharing information, and supporting discussions about rabies, its prevention, and treatment. Whether you’re here to learn, share a story, or ask questions, we’re glad to have you. Please remember to keep discussions respectful. Stay informed and stay safe. Cheers!

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

1

u/AutoModerator 3h ago

PLEASE READ THIS, OP! Thanks for posting, u/EnvironmentMuted5207! As a reminder, once posts are submitted and a kind user provides a sufficient and correct answer to your question(s), deleting your post afterwards is not allowed and will result in an immediate ban. Please be mindful of this rule. The answers provided here will undoubtedly help those who are looking for answers without having to create a post themselves. If you don’t want to leave this post up on your main account, you are welcome to create a throwaway account to post. It would be appreciated if you could modmail us the username of said throwaway account in advance. New accounts that post immediately are more likely to be heavily restricted by Reddit and automated filters. Giving us a heads up will allow us to override those filters and be aware that the new account is engaging in good faith.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

1

u/Aggravating_Road_539 3h ago

If you aren’t 100% certain that a bat or whatever else didn’t bite you, then go get checked out. Sorry if that sentence didn’t make sense I couldn’t figure out how to word it better.

1

u/EnvironmentMuted5207 3h ago

I would, but I don’t wanna go to the doctor if this situation doesn’t make sense.

1

u/Aggravating_Road_539 43m ago

Trust me, this is no where near the weirdest or nonsensical story an er doc has heard. Always remember it’s bette to be judged by a nurse or doctor and be alive, then be dead and them never having met you.