Statement on the rabies case in Canada

The death of a child in Canada due to rabies is a heartbreaking tragedy. This case highlights how important it is to take any direct contact with a bat seriously, even when there are no obvious bite or scratch wounds. Both the public as well as healthcare professionals need to be adequately informed and aware of this. Prompt post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) can prevent the disease from developing if administered in time.

Precisely because rabies is such a serious disease, it is essential that information about it remains factual, scientifically accurate, and reasonable. Portraying bats as an "invisible deadly threat" creates fear without necessarily improving public health.

It is important to understand that the situation in North America cannot simply be applied to Europe. Bat rabies can be caused by several viruses from the Lyssavirus genus. These include the classical rabies virus as well as other lyssaviruses, many of which are associated with bats. In the Americas, bats primarily carry variants of the classical rabies virus. In Europe, however, bats are primarily associated with different, bat-specific lyssaviruses, each of which is closely associated with specific host bat species. For example, around 95% of European detections of European Bat Lyssavirus 1 (EBLV-1) have been in serotine bats and the closely related Isabelline serotine. In some cases, other European bat lyssaviruses have been detected in just a handful of individual animals.

This does not mean the risk should be ignored. However, it should be viewed realistically. According to UNEP/EUROBATS, there have been only six fatal human cases caused by bat lyssaviruses documented across all of Europe to date. The risk is therefore real, but transmission to humans is extraordinarily rare.

A bat seen during the day, found on the ground, or unable to fly is not automatically rabid. This image, often used to illustrate the danger of rabies, is therefore misleading. These bats are frequently injured, exhausted, dehydrated, hypothermic, or simply too young to fly independently. Grounded bats that cannot fly are generally not suffering from rabies.

That said, wild animals should never be handled with bare hands. A lyssavirus infection cannot be identified, or ruled out, based on appearance alone, and even a healthy but frightened bat may bite in self-defense. Transmission requires a relevant direct exposure: a bite, deep scratches, or saliva coming into contact with an open wound or the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, or eyes. Simply having a bat in a building, attic, or garden does not constitute a rabies exposure.

Those of us who regularly examine, rescue, or rehabilitate bats, whether professionally or as trained volunteers, are vaccinated against rabies. If you find a bat in need of help, you should neither handle it unprotected nor ignore it out of fear. Instead, contact a local bat conservation group or wildlife rescue organization and follow their guidance.

This tragic case should be a reason to improve medical awareness and provide clear guidance on how to respond to potential exposures, not to stigmatize an entire group of strictly protected animals. Fear that is not supported by scientific evidence does not make people safer, but it can seriously harm bat conservation.

The risk should never be downplayed. But it should not be exaggerated through alarmist reporting either. Good public education takes potential exposures seriously, explains appropriate protective measures, and at the same time puts into perspective just how rare these transmissions actually are.

❗️Accurate information protects both people and bats.❗️

RABIES IN EUROPEAN BATS: https://www.eurobats.org/sites/default/files/publication/Bat_rabies_EN_2025_10.pdf

🦇 I was bitten or scratched by a bat, what should I do now?

When should I contact AGES (Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety) about rabies?

If you have had possible direct contact with a bat (for example, a bite, scratch, or possible contact with bat saliva) you should seek medical advice immediately. The national rabies consultation service at AGES can help assess whether post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is necessary.

When in doubt: it’s always better to ask once too often than to act too late!

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