Is An Antirabies Vaccination Needed If Bitten By A Bat?

Posted on Sat, 27 Sep 2014

Question: A month ago a bat entered our bedroom and either landed or flew across my head. Do I need a rabies shot?

Answered by Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (7 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
No.

Detailed Answer:
Hello!

Thank you for the query.

No, rabies vaccination is not necessary. It would be necessary only if the bat would has bitten you. Its because the virus is present in the saliva and can get to the other person only if the blood has contact with saliva. Otherwise the risk of infection is hardly possible.

Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions.
Regards.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (2 minutes later)

I have been told you cannot feel a bat bite. Is this true? I did not feel a bite, but it was a hard hit by the bat.
I have been told that you cannot feel a bat bite. Is this true, would I have felt the bite? It was a very hard hit to my head. Thank you so much for responding. If it had bitten me, would I have some sort of symptoms by now?

Answered by Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (17 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
.

Detailed Answer:
There should be at leas a mark or redness in the bite area. However its true that you may not feel a bat bite. Symptoms can appear even 2 months after the bite. So you may not symptoms yet if you have been bitten.
If you have any doubts about if there was a bite or not, you should consult Infectious Diseases Specialist.

Regards.

Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar