Bats and rabies
On Friday October 25th, a 2.5-year-old cat fell ill with European bat lyssavirus type 1 (EBLV-1). This happened a few weeks after she brough home a bat (https://www.uu.nl/nieuws/kat-besmet-met-european-bat-lyssavirus-1).
What is a lyssavirus?
There are many variants of lyssaviruses. Classical rabies is the best known variant. Classical rabies is not found in bats in the Netherlands. The bat variant EBLV-1 is occasionally found.
Lyssaviruses can be transmitted via a bite or scratch from an infected animal. Infection with the virus is fatal if treatment is not started immediately after infection. Hence why treatment must be started immediately after a bite or scratch from a bat. Animals can be infected before they show any symptoms. It is not possible to determine by clinical observation if the animal is infected.
How often does rabies occur in the Netherlands?
Most bats that occur in the Netherlands do not carry the EBLV-1 virus. In serotine bats that have been found sick or dead, the virus has been found in one in five animals. In healthy serotine bats, it is found much less often, and in other types of bats, the virus is not or hardly found. Sick animals are much more easily caught by a cat or dog, which in turn can become infected.
Classical rabies does not occur in the Netherlands. In the past 40 years, five people in the Netherlands have died from classic rabies. All of these people were infected abroad.
What should you do if a pet (cat/dog) has been in contact with a bat?
Contact a veterinarian immediately to have the pet vaccinated against rabies/EBLV-1. Indicate that the pet has been in contact with a bat.
What should you do if you have been bitten or scratched by a bat and you have not been vaccinated against rabies?
Immediately clean the wound thoroughly with soap and water for at least 15 minutes. Next, disinfect the wound with iodine or 70% alcohol. Then immediately contact your GP or the local GGD (public health service) and also the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) (telephone 0900-0388, available 24 hours a day).
If the bat is still around, try to catch it by, for example, placing an upside-down flower pot over it. Do not touch the bat with bare hands.
More information can be found on:
https://dwhc.nl/wp-content/uploads/sites/393/2024/11/Bat_rabies_2024-08_LR.pdf
