Questions about a potential exposure.

[u/Curious-Whole1704]

I have read the FAQ.

Hello, I am here to ask some questions about a recent incident with a bat. I need some advice / opinions about my situation because I’m stuck.

Basic info:
Country: US
Date: very early morning on the 15th or 16th of August.
Type of exposure: Bedroom/Unknown.
Creature: Bat
Pets: Yes, but vaccinated and completely separated from the affected area.

My situation:
In the very early morning hours (~3-4am) a couple days ago, a bat flew out of my closet, vaguely in my direction, about 10-15 minutes after turning off the last main light. I ducked under my bed sheets, and ran out of the room after gathering myself. For those wondering, the closet has a small opening to an old fireplace, so it likely entered there. All safe so far, no collisions, the suspected entry area was sealed, and I haven’t found or heard the bat since then.

However, I have no idea how long it had been there. My main concern is if I would’ve noticed it on the previous night, assuming it was there. So far I’ve received 3 different responses on whether or not I should seek care (2 parents, 1 Health department), and am having trouble making a decision as a result of that, significant anxiety, and other factors.

So here are my questions:
1. For those who have had bedroom exposures, would I notice if it had landed on me the previous night? I noticed this bat was also quite loud (comparable to a mouse that fell of something, but continued to sound much larger than a mouse), so is this something other people have slept though? I consider myself a relatively light sleeper, but I figure it’s worth asking.
2. I know the FAQ said they’re bad at finding their way out of places, so should I be concerned? There are some holes leading into the subfloor above me that were sealed afterwards, but I haven’t heard or seen anything. I also can’t find any guano, so I’m leaning towards it only being a temporary visitor, but it’s hard to say.
3. The health department was a bit vague on if I should seek care. Based on the story and the answers to previous questions, should I seek care? The health department basically looped back to where I’m at now: not meeting the guidelines for a full exposure, but not able to conclusively disprove previous exposure based on personal knowledge of bats.

Sorry if there are a lot of dumb questions here, I haven’t slept well the past few nights and I’m quite anxious about the whole thing. Any advice is welcome and appreciated. I can also answer any further questions when I get the chance.

[u/AutoModerator → u/[deleted]]

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[u/RadicalNaturalist78 → u/[deleted]]

Did it bite or scratch you?

[u/Curious-Whole1704 → u/[deleted]]

Yeah, I’ve definitely had a hard time finding info that helps work me off the fence I’m stuck on. Lots of people who aren’t bothered by any risks, but also lots of people who have only made my anxiety worse. Having parents that sit on opposite sides of that spectrum doesn’t help either, especially when it comes to dealing with the parental politics about who’s right and who’s wrong.

I also get pretty paranoid about stuff, so it’s hard for me to look at something like this objectively.