Published: 01 March 2004
Bat Rabies
Preliminary results of a pilot Defra-funded study and a joint Scottish Executive and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) funded study into the prevalence of bat rabies (European Bat Lyssavirus - EBLV) have found a low level of antibodies in one bat species in some bat roosts in England and Scotland.
A low level of antibodies to EBLV2 was found in one species of British bat, the Daubenton's bat (Myotis daubentonii) in north west England, but no live virus was found.
Similar studies were undertaken in Scotland and the preliminary results of these were reported in October 2003 (See SNH PN 2/10/2003).
The combined results now indicate that approximately 8% of Daubenton's bats carry antibodies in those sites previously suspected to have had infected bats, and approximately 2% of Daubenton's bats may carry antibodies across Great Britain as a whole.
EBLVs are closely related to classical rabies virus.
They have been known to infect not only the primary hosts (insectivorous bats) but on very rare occasions other animal hosts and human beings.
In Europe, between 1977 and 2003, more than 700 EBLV cases in bats have been reported, mainly in Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, France and Spain.
There have been two bat-associated rabies cases in England, two Daubenton's bats (Myotis daubentonii) have been found alive but sick with EBLV2: one in Newhaven, Sussex during 1996 and another in Lancashire in 2002
In November 2002, a Scottish bat handler died from an EBLV2 infection. Since 1977, only four human deaths from EBLVs have been confirmed in Europe.
The Veterinary Laboratories Agency carries out passive surveillance on over 200 bats (found dead and submitted to the VLA) each year for bat rabies. Over the past 17 years over 4,000 surveillance cases have returned negative results. This work will continue.
Bats are protected species and must not be deliberately disturbed, captured or killed, or their roosts damaged or destroyed. EBLVs are normally only transmitted by the bite of an infected bat.
There is therefore no risk to humans if bats are not approached or handled by them.
Therefore, the risk to the general public from bats is very low, and advice issued jointly by Defra, the Scottish Executive, the Department of Health, remains unchanged.
People who find a sick or ailing bat should not approach or handle the bat, but rather seek advice from the Bat Conservation Trust (Helpline 0845 1300228).
Licensed bat handlers and anyone who regularly handles bats in the UK should ensure that they have first had vaccination against rabies and should always wear protective gloves when handling bats.
Anyone bitten or scratched by a bat should immediately clean the wound thoroughly with soap and water. Additional cleansing of the wound site with an alcohol base or other disinfectant is also recommended and immediate medical advice must be sought, as with any animal bite.
In the English study bats were caught, identified, sampled and released at the roost site. Although some other species of bats were tested, antibodies were not found in them, but there were insufficient numbers caught to draw any conclusions.
Consideration is being given to whether further similar studies should be undertaken this spring in England.
The joint preliminary research findings are published in this week's issue of the Veterinary Record.
Further information
Defra website: www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/q&a/rabiesq&a.htm
Bat Conservation Trust: www.bats.org.uk/
Veterinary Laboratories Agency: www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/vla/
Veterinary Record: www.vetrecord.co.uk/
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