Cute but not cuddly – Never handle bats

In recent years, there has been a lot of negative media about flying-foxes, mainly stemming from the Australian Bat Lyssavirus (ABL), which was discovered in flying-foxes in 1996, as well as in one small bat – the yellow-bellied sheath-tail bat. The reality is you are far more likely to get a disease from other people or other animals than bats. ABL is not a reason to fear bats, as it is very rare and preventable. The rate of infection in healthy wild flying-foxes is less than 1% Australia-wide, but only trained and vaccinated people should handle bats.

Only two humans have died from ABL – one was bitten by a flying-fox and one by a sheath-tail bat. In that same decade, 18,000 Australians died in motor vehicle accidents! ABL can be transmitted to people if an infected bat bites or scratches a person, but the contact needs to be to an open wound or mucous membrane, such as an eye, nose or mouth. It’s best simply to avoid handling these animals at all. You will not be exposed to the virus by flying-foxes flying overhead or by them living and feeding in your garden or trees. It is also not spread through their droppings or urine, even if you walk or play near or under their colonies.

For more info on Lyssavirus visit:

Australasian Bat Society www.abs.ausbats.org.au

BatCare Brisbane www.bats.org.au

Department of Environment & Resource Management www.derm.qld.gov.au/wildlife-ecosystems/wildlife/az_of_animals/bats.html

CSIRO www.csiro.au/science/Australian-bat-lyssavirus.html

If you find an injured or sick flying fox or any bat, please contact the Bat Rescue Hotline urgently on 0488 228 134 and for more info please visit www.bats.org.au