Health Department

Bats play key roles in ecosystems but also can carry diseases, including rabies –

CINCINNATI – June 4, 2024 – Bats are unique in the animal world. They are the only mammals capable of sustained flight. They play an important role in nature. For example, they consume insect pests, reducing the need for pesticides. Unfortunately, they can also carry rabies.

Rabies is a serious viral disease that causes inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, and while not all bats carry rabies, some do. While other wild animals, such as skunks, raccoons, and foxes, can carry rabies, in the U.S., according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), bats are the most reported animals to have rabies.

Rabies is preventable but can be fatal if not treated. And it is also very rare, so there is no need to panic.

“It is important to stress that human rabies in the United States is extremely rare, with only one to three cases reported each year,” said Grant Mussman, M.D., MHSA, Cincinnati Health Department Commissioner. “Once clinical symptoms appear, rabies is virtually 100% fatal, according to the World Health Organization. Therefore, it is critical to seek medical attention after a potential rabies exposure.”

The Cincinnati Health Department (CHD) has received eight reports of bats in people’s homes in May. While this number is not high, it is important to be aware of the dangers and what steps to take in case of suspected exposure.

According to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), individuals bitten by a bat, who had direct, bare-skinned contact with the bat, and those that are unable to rule out that a bite has not occurred, for example someone who woke to find a bat in their bedroom or someone that had been in a room with a bat and is unable to articulate whether an exposure took place (such as an infant), should be considered as having been exposed.

Rabies can only be confirmed in a laboratory. Therefore, the CDC recommends that if people find a bat that they contact their local public health department while they have the bat safely contained to rule out 100% the risk of rabies. By testing the bat for rabies, individuals can find out if they need to receive Postexposure Prophylaxis (PEP).

PEP for rabies consists of one dose of human rabies immune globulin (HRIG), which must be given in the ER and provides antibodies to fight rabies infection. The treatment also includes four doses of the rabies vaccine with the first dose administered on the day the exposure occurs or soon after, and subsequent doses on day three, seven and 14 after the exposure date. This treatment is only used to prevent a person who has been exposed to rabies from developing rabies.

From 2019-2023, Ohio reported 186 cases of confirmed rabies in animals, 127 of which were bats. Hamilton County reported 11 cases of rabies during the same period, all of which were from bats. Of those 11 rabies infected bats, six were within Cincinnati.

Between 2019 and 2023, about 2049 animal bites were reported to CHD, including 480 in 2023. These bite events included dogs, cats, bats, rodents, and livestock, such as goats, cows, and horses. Each animal bite reported to CHD is considered for its potential exposure to rabies.

Out of all the exposures reported in 2023, an estimated 18 individuals received PEP for rabies. PEP is recommended when the risk of developing rabies cannot be ruled out, such as when an animal was unavailable to be quarantined or tested. PEP can also be advised after bat encounters when the bat is not available for testing.

For more information about bats and rabies, visit the CHD website, the Ohio Department of Health website or the CDC website.

People are encouraged to call CHD at 513-352-2922 if they have been in contact with a bat or find one in their house.