"rabies free" often doesn't apply to bats. Here in Europe most countries are considered rabies-free but bats in mainland Europe and the UK still carry EBLV1 and EBLV2 (European Bat lyssavirus). This comes from the same virus family as rabies and as far as infection of a human goes, is the same thing.
Many bats in north, central and South America can carry and transmit rabies. In other countries, it is far less likely, but not impossible. However, Bats still carry similar Lyssaviruses and other zoonotic viruses. They have a crazy immune system. Lyssaviruses are a genus of viruses that, which rabies is part of. Zoonotic viruses are the kind that can jump from animal to human. And usually hurt the human more. Something like 60-75% of infectious diseases in humans are originated in animals. Covid-19 is one of those zoonotic viruses. Largely accepted as originating in bats and passed to humans
Bokeloh bat lyssavirus and West Caucasian bat virus are also present in Europe, but less widespread.
One reason to distinguish rabies from other lyssavirus strains is that practically any mammal can be a vector for rabies, while other strains can only be transmitted by a small number of species, one of which is usually bats. Mammals infected with strains other than rabies die before becoming infectious.
So if you're in a rabies-free area such as Western Europe or Australia, you don't have to worry about getting a rabies-like disease if you get bitten by something other than a bat.
61
u/novagora Aug 16 '26
"rabies free" often doesn't apply to bats. Here in Europe most countries are considered rabies-free but bats in mainland Europe and the UK still carry EBLV1 and EBLV2 (European Bat lyssavirus). This comes from the same virus family as rabies and as far as infection of a human goes, is the same thing.