Warning issued after 40 bat bites in Australian state

Summarised from Daily Mail's report · Updated 13 Oct, 02:56 · Archive

New South Wales health authorities have issued a warning after 43 people were bitten or scratched by bats in two weeks.

NSW Health has issued an urgent warning after 43 people were bitten or scratched by bats across the state between 28 September and 10 October. This represents more than four times the number of incidents recorded during the same period the previous year. The encounters were reported across the Hunter New England, Mid North Coast, Northern NSW and Central Coast regions.

The spike has raised concerns about Australian bat lyssavirus (ABLV), a close relative of rabies that spreads to humans through bites, scratches or contact with infected saliva. Early symptoms resemble the flu, including headaches, fever and fatigue, before progressing to paralysis, delirium and convulsions. Once symptoms develop, the infection is almost always fatal, with death potentially occurring within one or two weeks.

Three human cases of ABLV have been recorded in Australia since the virus was identified in 1996, all in Queensland, and all three people died. Keira Glasgow, Director of Health Protection at NSW Health, advised that people should never attempt to handle bats, even if they appear injured or distressed. 'We want people to assume that any bat could carry Australian bat lyssavirus, which is a close relative to the rabies virus and very dangerous to humans,' Ms Glasgow said.

Read the report

• Urgent warning issued over deadly bat virus after more than 40 Aussies bitten or scratched in just two weeksAn urgent warning has been issued to Aussies.Daily Mail · 13 Oct, 01:04

In this story: NSW Health · New South Wales · Queensland · Keira Glasgow

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