Health warning after sudden surge of bat bites across NSW
Health authorities in NSW have urged people not to try and pick up or touch bats amid a sudden surge of people being scratched or bitten.
People who are wounded by bats could be exposed to a rare but fatal disease, for which there is no known cure.
Bats carry the rare but very deadly bat lyssavirus. Getty
In a statement released on Tuesday, NSW Health said 43 people had either been bitten or scratched by bats in northern NSW between September 28 and October 10.
These included in coastal areas in the Hunter Region, the Mid North Coast, Northern NSW and the Central Coast.
This is a sharp increase from the 10 reported incidents during the same time period last year.
Keira Glasgow, Director in Health Protection at NSW Health issued a warning to Aussies ahead of summer, where bats are more likely to be prevalent.
“We want people to assume that any bat could carry Australian bat lyssavirus, which is a close relative to the rabies virus and very dangerous to humans,” she said.
“It is incredibly rare for Australian bat lyssavirus to transmit to humans, but once symptoms of lyssavirus start in people who are scratched or bitten by an infected bat, sadly there is no effective treatment.
Bat lyssavirus can cause death within one to two weeks of symptoms beginning. Pat Jones
“If you are bitten or scratched by a bat, urgent medical assessment is crucial.”
People who have been bitten or scratched by a bat should immediately wash the wound for 15 minutes with soap and water, before applying an antiseptic with antivirus action, before letting it dry.
There is more bat activity currently due to food shortages, according to experts.
“Consequently, members of the community are seeing flying-foxes remaining in their backyard trees during the day,” Ingrid Emery, Executive Director Conservation Programs at the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water said.
“According to current reports… this food shortage event is occurring along the eastern coast from the Clarence Valley in the north to the South Coast.”
What is bat lyssavirus?
Bat lyssavirus is unique to Australia, and is similar to rabies, which is not seen in Australia.
Any bat, including flying-foxes, can carry the virus, which can lead to serious illness in people who are infected, and is almost always fatal, according to the Australian Centre for Disease Control.
The illness starts with flu-like symptoms, include fever and headache, but then progresses to paralysis, delirium and seizures.
Once symptoms begin, death usually occurs within one to two weeks
Symptoms usually start a week after exposure, but can sometimes take several years to appear.
The rabies vaccine can be effective against bat lyssavirus.
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