Lake County Confirms 1st Rabid Bat Since 2022 in Painesville Home

Q: If rabies is fatal once symptoms appear, how can you safely determine if a bat bit you while you were sleeping?

You often cannot safely determine it on your own, which is why public health guidance treats waking up to a bat in the room as a possible rabies exposure even if you see no bite mark. Bat bites and scratches can be tiny or invisible, especially after sleep. Health officials and clinicians warn that a person may not feel a bite, and the absence of visible marks does not rule out exposure. A recent Canadian case underscored that danger: a boy who woke up with a bat on his face had no visible lesions, did not get treatment, and later died of rabies. The safest response is to assume possible exposure and act immediately. If a bat is found in a room where someone was sleeping, an unattended child was present, or a person cannot reliably say whether contact occurred, experts advise safely capturing the bat for rabies testing if that can be done without bare-hand contact. Use gloves and a container, then contact the local health department or a doctor right away. Do not wait for symptoms or rely on checking your skin alone. If there is any chance of a bite, scratch, or saliva contact with your eyes, nose, mouth, or an open wound, seek urgent medical evaluation. Rabies post-exposure prophylaxis, given before symptoms begin, is highly effective. If you were bitten or scratched, wash the area thoroughly with soap and water for 15 minutes, apply alcohol if available, and get medical care immediately.

3 articles · Updated · Cleveland 19 News · Jul 23

Ohio health testing confirmed a bat found inside a Painesville home had rabies, marking Lake County’s first rabid bat case since 2022.
Lake County health officials said bats should be carefully captured and tested if someone may have been exposed or if one is found in a home where people were sleeping.
Rabies can be fatal, and the county used the case to remind residents that dogs, cats and ferrets older than 4 months must be vaccinated.