January 25, 2018
Queensland Health has warned people not to touch dead or dying bats as they could be carrying harmful viruses such as the deadly Australian Bat Lyssavirus.
A spokesperson said wildlife had been suffering recently due to the summer heat which meant that in some areas there had been a sharp increase in dead or dying bats and flying foxes.
However, the public should not touch or pick up them up, even if the animals were injured or appeared to be dead.
Dr Heidi Carroll, from Queensland Health’s Communicable Diseases Branch, said each year there were about 300 reported cases of potential exposure to Australian Bat Lyssavirus (ABLV) in Queensland, mainly through untrained people handling bats.
“This number can be significantly reduced if the general public avoid touching bats and call a wildlife carer to assist instead,” Dr Carroll said.
“When people try to move a bat which appears to be dead or injured, that’s when they are most likely to be scratched or bitten.
“Scratches, bites and bat saliva on mucous membranes of the eyes, nose or mouth from a bat are very serious and require immediate medical assessment to prevent the potential development of ABLV infection.”
There is no evidence that ABLV can be spread from bat and flying foxes faeces or urine to humans.
Workplace Health and Safety Queensland says workers considered at risk include vets and their staff, zoo workers, wildlife officers, bat rescue and rehabilitation carers, fauna surveyors, bat scientists, electrical workers who remove bats from powerlines, laboratory personnel who handle bat tissues or live lyssaviruses, and any other person who has occupational contact with bats.
Fruit growers should also use small aperture safe netting to minimise bat entanglements
A person will not be exposed to ABLV risks merely by working near a bat colony.
A WHS spokesman said workplaces should manage ABLV risks by ensuring only people who have a current rabies vaccination have contact with bats.
