Bat in France found to have rabies: advice to protect yourself

A person in western France has been treated for rabies after being bitten by a bat..

The bat was found on a street in the Suzanne-et-Chammes commune, in Mayenne, Pays de la Loire, where it bit a person attempting to handle it.

The mayor of the commune said “there was not a colony” in the area the bat belonged to. 

“The species does not correspond to either of the two colonies present in the Coëvrons [a nearby forested area],” added mayor Michel Galvane. 

The Mayenne prefecture posted a warning about contracting the virus on its social media pages, which can be viewed below. 

‘Bat’ rabies not eradicated in France 

The type of rabies passed on by the bat is known as chiropteran rabies (rage des chiroptères), and is different from ‘vulpine’ rabies, which mostly affects foxes. 

The latter was eradicated in France with the last reported case being 1998 according to ANSES, the French Health Agency, but the former still exists, and around three bats per year are found to be infected with the virus. 

Rabies is passed through via the saliva of an animal, usually through a bite or scratch that breaks human skin. 

It is rare for bats to pass rabies to humans however, with only three recorded cases of this in France since the 1980s although in 2019 a person in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region died of rabies, which may have been passed on by a bat. 

It was the first time a person had died from the disease which had been contracted in France since 1924, according to the Pasteur Institute. 

“Rare cases of transmission have also been described in other mammals, such as domestic cats, notably in France by the national rabies reference centre,” the institute says. 

“Rabies can be effectively prevented by vaccination, but is always fatal once the first signs of the disease appear,” it added. Around 59,000 people worldwide die from rabies, mostly in Africa and Asia. 

Read more: Dogs die of rare disease in south-west France: vaccination advised

Tips to avoid rabies 

Although rare it is still best to follow certain guidelines to avoid contracting the virus. 

The first and most important thing is to never interact with an animal you think may be infected. 

Contact a local vet, or SPA (Société protectrice des animaux) to inform them of the situation, so they can send a specialist. 

This is doubly the case for bats which are also protected species in France. 

If you think you have been scratched or bitten by an infected animal, immediately seek medical assistance from a doctor or local rabies centre. They will be able to run tests to see if you need anti-rabies medicine.

Rabies is fatal, but treatable if caught early enough. The medicine needs to be taken before symptoms appear. 

Read more: State pays €95,000 to couple after hundreds of bats invade French home