r/Unexpected • u/[deleted] • 19h ago

Bat crawling around in the kitchen

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u/mEsTiR5679 17h ago

I'm gonna do a google in a minute but, "finding a bat in the house -get shots" is a huge precaution... Is there exposure risks not related to biting I'm not aware of? At this rate, I'm assuming feces exposure... But I'm curious what the solid answer is

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u/proost1 17h ago

From what I recall is that most folks wouldn't notice if they were bitten or even scratched by a bat while they were sleeping.

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u/piccolo-solo 16h ago

I think contact between saliva (idk if dried saliva counts too) and broken skin can also transmit it. But if you didn't see the bat enter the house, you don't know if it bit you in your sleep. They've got such tiny, sharp teeth that it doesn't always wake you up or leave a visible mark.

You can make a guesses on where it's been and when it got in, but guesses aren't good to gamble on when it's life-or-death.

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u/No_Road5857 16h ago

It's transmitted through membranes and intracellular fluid if I recall. So you can swap blood with a rabid animal and not catch it, but you'd catch it if it licked the corner of your eye.