A local veterinarian is stressing the importance of getting checked for rabies if there is a chance that someone came into contact with a bat.
A case of rabies was recently discovered in a bat in Trinity Bay, the first such case in the province in 22 years.
Dr. Maggie Brown-Bury says it is normal for a very small portion of the bat population to have rabies.
(Photo courtesy Veterinary Specialty Centre of Newfoundland and Labrador)
She states that a bat’s teeth are “very tiny,” so if a human or animal gets bitten it might not be physically noticeable.
She says that’s why if a bat is found in a home it is taken “very seriously” and the animal is tested. Brown-Bury does note, however, that they don’t want people to become “anti-bat” because of the situation, and there has always been a risk of rabies and it “was never zero.”
