megan_ Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 As per the title, she got hold of dead bat wing and chilies on it before I got it away. I'm concerned because of all the diseases they carry, ESP lissa (so) virus. Is there anything I should do? She is up to date with wormers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coogie Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 Can you contact your vet to get advice? We are in Qld the state guidelines are on the Dfat website - try googling for a local one? Qld one is here: Bats and domestic animals Our local vet did not suggest anything beyond observation unless the dog had been bitten by a bat, they did suggest if that happened we should try and get the bat /bat's body tested before deciding what to do. Hopefully if the bat was already dead it won't cause any problems and your girl will be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 a fruit bat or a little tiny one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Age Outlaw Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 Had a dog here that caught a flying fox once (wasn't even one of my dogs, I was just babysitting)...I was worried about risks of disease as it has scratched or bitten the dog on the nose. I contacted CSIRO and they said they had no evidence of any diseases that transferred from bat to dog (in this country anyway, thank goodness we don't have rabies here...yet). Make sure you are careful handling it though...a few things that can be transmitted to people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megan_ Posted December 2, 2012 Author Share Posted December 2, 2012 Thanks, I put a pop bag over my hand and grabbed it from her. It was very decomposed do hepofully anything was dead - it was almost all bone. I won't let her kiss me tonight (she has a beard). I'll call the vet too just in case Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dame Aussie Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 How's Lucy megan? I remember years ago one of our cats bringing a live one into the house Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clyde Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 My neighbor had one fly out of her Christmas tree last year They had cut it down at a local tree farm, put it up and two days later a bat flew out when she was on the lounge watching TV My 8yr old found out about it and we we werent allowed to get a tree from there this year. :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megan_ Posted December 2, 2012 Author Share Posted December 2, 2012 Thanks All. Aussie3 - she is fine, however was a bit resentful when I took it away from her :) . I rang Monash Vets but the vet was in a consult so they rang me back when they finished up - gee I love them! They suggested giving her an all-wormer and watch her for stomach upsets, but the chance of her getting an virus etc from the bat were very, very remote. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clyde Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 Great news! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 was it a tiny bat or a fruit bat? I dont think the little ones carry the viruses the fruit bats have, although I cannot be sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dame Aussie Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 Good to hear :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyosha Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 was it a tiny bat or a fruit bat? I dont think the little ones carry the viruses the fruit bats have, although I cannot be sure. Any bat in Australia can carry Lyssavirus (ABL). But I don't think the virus stays alive for very long in the environment or in a dead bat. So it is more of a worry with dogs if they find a sick or paralysed bat - which are symptoms of full-blown ABL - and get scratched or bitten. If that was the case I would certainly send bat remains for testing as ABL is related to rabies. So the virus can stay latent in a mammal's system. Once the virus becomes active and symptoms are shown there is no treatment - for humans or other animals - and it is fatal. While dormant the virus can be treated with rabies serum injections. I've been vaccinated for ABL/rabies as I used to do a lot of bat handling. But the virus is very rare. I think there have been two documented cases in humans. But as it is 100% fatal once active being over-cautious is pretty well warranted. In your case Megan I wouldn't worry about it. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megan_ Posted December 2, 2012 Author Share Posted December 2, 2012 Thanks Alyosha. Can it be found in bat poo? We go walking in the Botanical Gardens often as it is gorgeous and we don't run into off leash dogs in the morning. However, the dogs do snack on all sorts of poo....they do know "leave it" and "ahah" but I don't always spot them before they lay into it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 There's the other virus that bats carry and it's transferred to horses, and then to people, the one Vic Rail died of, what's that one called, my memory fails me at the moment. Starts with H I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megan_ Posted December 2, 2012 Author Share Posted December 2, 2012 Hendra? I don't think the Botanical Gardens bats carry it though - I though the QLD ones did? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyosha Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 (edited) Yep. Hendra virus. It has been localised to southern Qld and maybe far north NSW I think. I think it has a different mode of tranmission. ABL is by infected saliva injection (ie penetrating the skin), so from bites, or scratches as bats lick their claws to groom themselves. I think Hendra comes from horses eating around infected bat droppings. It infects a horse and is then transmitted by the horses' respiratory secretions? From memory the human Hendra deaths have been linked to PMs on infected horses, from coming into contact with lung tissue? Edited December 3, 2012 by Alyosha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megan_ Posted December 3, 2012 Author Share Posted December 3, 2012 so the dogs are safe with our "southern" bat poo (with the exception of parasites)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 Yep. Hendra virus. It has been localised to southern Qld and maybe far north NSW I think. I think it has a different mode of tranmission. ABL is by infected saliva injection (ie penetrating the skin), so from bites, or scratches as bats lick their claws to groom themselves. I think Hendra comes from horses eating around infected bat droppings. It infects a horse and is then transmitted by the horses' respiratory secretions? From memory the human Hendra deaths have been linked to PMs on infected horses, from coming into contact with lung tissue? I think it's transmitted when they're alive, Vic Rail and at least one of his employees died from it, also a vet who was treating a horse died. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyosha Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 so the dogs are safe with our "southern" bat poo (with the exception of parasites)? :laugh: They should be, yes. I think it's transmitted when they're alive, Vic Rail and at least one of his employees died from it, also a vet who was treating a horse died. I think you're right. Accrding to CSRIO the route of transmission isn't known. But all infections in humans, and the one dog one, seem to have come from contact with infected horses. So I wonder if bat to dog directly is different? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 What I am not sure about is if Victorian bats have it or if it's in the micro bats as well, or is it just the fruit bats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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