Rabies Scare!

Yes, this really happened…

A BAT in my RV “Home on the Road”

So here is the “back story” – 

My bet is the bat got in when I left the screen door open as I was completing my summer cleaning routine. I had been in one spot for over 3 months and wanted to do a through clean before “hitting the road”. I thought it left after it flew around the RV on Tuesday evening – I was clearly wrong. 

When I encountered it again Wednesday evening (I traveled on Wednesday from Grangeville to New Meadows, Id), I was far more proactive at doing something about it. After locking it in the bathroom for the night, I “addressed the issue” on Thursday morning. 

Fortunately, I caught the bat (after subduing it with plenty of household cleaner spray!) and brought it to the health department.

Here are the facts as they pertain to bats and rabies:

  • IF you are bit or scratched by a rabid bat (or any animal) and do not act until YOU have symptoms – survival rates are NEAR ZERO PERCENT… scary huh? 
  • 94% of all bats are NOT rabid (well at least THAT is good news) (data source: google search)
  • IF you catch the animal, you can have it tested and know for certain – otherwise, if you had an encounter like mine, the recommended action is to begin a series of rabies shots
  • Rabies shots cost upward of $17,000. – according to data found in answers.com
  • Rabies can only be prevented in a human that has been exposed by getting the shots BEFORE you show any signs of the disease
bat in an RV
Yep, this is what bat looked like in my RV bathroom (stock photo – I didn’t stop to take a picture!)
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