My brother was turkey hunting in North Carolina today and was attacked by a grey fox. When I say attacked, that is what it was. Hand to hand combat.

He had walked down an old woods road to a high point over looking a valley to await gobbling time. When he Arrived on the point he stepped off the road about 10 feet and set down, as he had 20 or so minutes before they were due to start gobbling.

He had set for about 5 minutes when he heard something approaching on the road. Due to the darkness, he couldn't see it until it got 12-15 feet from him. At this time he realized it was likely a grey fox. When the fox got downwind it stopped and was smelling him. He decided he would speak to it softly to get it to go away.

When he spoke to it it slouched down and sprang at him. Next thing he knows he has got the fox by the throat trying to keep it from his face. It ends up clamping down on his turkey vest. He ends up pinning the thing on the ground and tried to suffocate it. But, the fox was able to squirm out and at this point retreated.

He has looked himself over numerous times and found no scratches or such. And he as received very conflicting info as to whether he should be treated for potential exposure to rabies. I think he is going to talk it over with his wife tonight and act as they decide.

Does any of you have any advice. Several doctors have been called, and even visited today with very conflicting advice. Same with the vets he talked with as well. It is a bad deal as he has two boys to think about too. While he definitely isn't a hypochondriac, he has more to consider here and doesn't really know what to do with the varying advice. Any advice on first hand experience with rabies or whether he should take the treatments would be appreciated. God Bless

I had a 3 year old niece got bite by a bat. Family Doctor was out of town another Doctor said not to worry about it. When family Doctor got back home he said not to take any chance on it and take the shots. She took the shots.

Shamelessly copied and pasted from a wildlife disease website...for you an your brother and everyone else here....

"How do you catch it?

Rabies virus is found primarily in saliva and in the tissues of the central nervous system, especially the brain. It's usually spread through the bite of an infected animal.

It can also be transmitted if the animal's saliva or nervous tissue gets into your eyes, nose, mouth, or an open wound or scratch. Airborne transmission is possible but rare—it's more of a concern for laboratory workers who handle animals, or in moist caves with little ventilation."

NOTE: a "Wait And See" option IS NOT advisable...as by the time symptoms show themselves?...it's over.....a done deal...virtually 100% fatal.

so if he EVEN THINKS the possibility exists that he got any of this creatures saliva in his mouth or eyes?...he could be in trouble.

The alternative?..I would..."Like To Think"...is the possibility that he got himself positioned between a momma and close too her spring pups...but if that were the case?...I don't think she'd of gave up.

All I got.

Be a little risky since he didn't kill the fox to have it checked. Better safe than sorry, especially if he had skin broken from a fox bite. That is not a natural action from a gray fox and I would not want to go through a rabies infection that would be much worse than the shot sequence.

fox & skunks are the worst for rabies, so better safe than sorry.

An MD should decide exposure not a Vet or the LW.To "me" it doesn't sound like exposure...last employee I had exposed cost $1500 20 years ago and health insurance covered it.

I agree. Not worth the risk, no way. Had a buddy get into a tussle with a racoon and also didn't kill it, so he got the shots. At least he was immune to rabies for a year or so...

Unless his wife is an MD there is not much point in listening to her-just sayin'

I agree with everyone else.I live just across the N.C line in Va. Many rabid critters in this part of the country.

Glad he was not hurt. I tend to lean toward the better safe than sorry direction if his Doctor is Ok with it.

MV, I wish you peace of mind too. I am sure you are upset.

He has talked to 3 DOCTORS, (MD's) and two vets. One says take it, s say don't. One vet says undoubtedly. The other says unsure.

Not real sure where you guys missed that in the original post about conflicting advice from the Doctor's.

FWIW, the "exposure" is the issue. No apparent scratches but, when you have a wild animal in your lap snapping at your face, and you grab it in a all out brawl, it would be impossible to decipher if minuscule exposure may have or didn't occur.

They don't have insurance either. Victim of Obama care. God Bless

I would get the shots . If my memory is correct contact with the animals saliva can carry rabies . As most animals , bats included , clean themselves by licking their fur the disease can be transferred .

Well, after listening to the advice of the Dr's, etc your brother still doesn't have peace about what action to take. IE: conflicting advice.

Based on the information which you have shared there is no certain conclusion to come. Other than there is a small chance of being infected.

This question can't be answered for certain: Did saliva made it to the right (wrong) places and "did" the fox have rabies?

No one will know for sure until time has gone by.

Sounds like a gamble to me to not get the shots because how do you really know.

Given the worst case scenario, not fully knowing if he was infected and being there is a wife and kids I suspect I'd just get the shots, especially being he is worried about it.

A p.s. rabies is a deadly ( almost always ) disease ...

The conflicting Doctor advice is why I am on the better safe then sorry get the treatment side.

Money is a non issue today if treatment is needed. Money will be the issue tomorrow.

Get the Obama care. Pre-existing condition is still under the new health care.

I had a red fox charge me years ago while getting ready to squire hunt in the morning. I did some calling and it charged me. Sounds like the same thing that happened to your brother. Maybe the guy was hungry and jumped at him, but what the grey fox thought was food wasn't. .

Def. be safe rather than sorry get it done. Thats wild he needs to send in the story to field and stream I think they used to pay for these storys.LOL

I think Greys are more aggressive I had one that wanted to fight my dog once but blasted him he died.

Another time this grey I thought was going to jump in the blind with me he ran up to my Turkey dek and jumped on it and had it in his mouth was glad I had the popper on me and blasted his butt. He was all mangey and I was thinking should I even touch this thing and the dek? I picked up my dek with a glove the critter laid there for the crows.

In my opinion. There is only one answer. Get the shots. Don't take a chance. Obama care will cover it? Good luck with that!

Agree, glad he's not hurt but get the shots. Had a nephew go through the shots, he said it wasn't bad.

The dog chased a fox out of the yard. I ran up back and got the dog and the fox stalked us back towards the house. I retrieved the shotgun but couldn't get the flashlight on him and shoot at him moving at the same time. (Need practice)

If no skin was broken from a scratch or bite then I don't see the need. The fox might have been hungry or defending territory. If he's worried then get the shots.

This is one of those cases of low risk/high consequence. While the risk of getting rabies might be low in this case, the consequences of getting it are extremely high. As I recall, there is only 1 case in the US where someone developed rabies and was cured after the disease manifested itself.

Conflicting advice from doctors is puzzling not knowing the specific conversations. I would exercise the "precautionary principle" if it was me and get the treatment unless my doctor has really sound medical reasons for not doing it. But, I am just an ordinary guy and not an MD so take my thoughts with a strong dose of medical advice from a trusted doctor. If that isn't working, I would call the CDC and ask to speak to an infectious disease specialist who is an expert on rabies.

Agree w/LBshooter,but if hes really worried about it,take the treatment,peace of mind is priceless.

What a blessing! To get that close to a wild animal while it was still alive and trying to survive. A rare privilege indeed!

Common sense is telling me I'd get the shots. That said I understand about not wanting an unneeded doctor bills. I've had to do it though ,you just send them what you can until it's paid off . I tried to look at at as the same as sending that insurance payment . At least it wasn't something catastrophic that would wipe him out financially.

^^^^ LOL!!!! Wonder if you'd say the same if it was a grizzly!!!

Based on the level of "Cross-Verification" we're getting here...

SURVEY SAYS?...

GET THE SHOTS!

He had a snarling very possibly rabid creature in his face and on wording alone?...

"Next thing he knows he has got the fox by the throat trying to keep it from his face."

I'd classify that as..."EXPOSED"

now you could sugar coat it by thinking this and that and roll the dice....but bottom line?...that would be like "Reasoning Away Common Sense"....cause if those dice you're rolling roll snake-eyes?...you ain't talking some chip on table...you're talking a body in a coffin...and who here could live with themselves advising otherwise and wind up..."wrong"?

Not me. :(

LBShooter, you might be right about not needed. Won't argue that. However, do you remember a month or two ago when you pm'ed me butt hurt, asking how it is I made the statement that you and I rarely see eye to eye? If so, read your post where you stated hungry or defending territory as a plausible reason for it's actions. A fine example of my statement. It's a grey FOX! In a not rural setting. It has seen humans. It should have run like the wind when he spoke to it, not attack him.

Ravensbow, are you an idiot?

Thanks to all others. He is taking the shots. In my mind, the only choice. God Bless

Did he get bitten?

Don't know the correct answer, but for me I would be getting the shots (have seen a bunch of foxes in my life and never had one atttack me,) have had them study me with curiosity, but not atack

Just what I would do (right or wrong)

Shouldn't he have insurance under Obama care?

He lost his insurance due to Obama care. Got an official letter saying he was dropped. He had to buy it before but, with two small kids (7 months and 3 years old), his lowest premium quoted since being dropped was over $1100/month. He chose to go without it for one more year and pay for medical expenses out of his pocket. It was a good plan considering.... God Bless

My take on the matter. If saliva did not come into contact with an open wound or if he wasn't scratched or bitten, it wasn't a potential exposure. However, if he did get exposed, it must be considered that this fox could well be rabid. The shots are not painful but are very expensive.

Joe

Regardless of cost get the shots. Money can be made, new Dads can't. Be safe.

Food stamps and a phone too !!!!! Sorry couldn't help it, I lost my health care Jan. 1st

(Get the Obama care. Pre-existing condition is still under the new health care. )

Saliva doesn't have to enter a cut. It readily will enter through the eye ducts.

He fought the thing off with his gun at first. Using it to deflect the lung. He is unsure if the fox slobbered on the barrel, or even had the barrel in it's mouth. He just knows he threw the gun up cross ways as defense, used it to defer the initial charge, then had to release it, to grab the animal when it got by the gun and lunged at his face.

It was dark, he had no light. It was a situation that probably only lasted 5-10 seconds by his account. After the brief struggle he wiped the gun down with gloved hands feeling for signs that the gun had been damaged. So he handled the fox with jersey cotton gloves, then wiped the gun down with those same gloves, then used the same gloves to put mouth calls in and out, and rub his allergy irritated eyes many times in the next 1.5 hours.

The thing that convinced him to get the shots, without further question, was the fact he rubbed his eyes multiple times with those gloves not knowing any better. He thought no more about it until he called me at 7:30, while walking from the woods. He was actually chuckling about it. I did to for about 2 seconds until reality hit. After talking with the Doctors and vets, the only constant is the absolute fact that the eye ducts are very big receptors to contract the disease.

I type all this to inform everyone of what could happen. We have both learned a lot due to this. I imagine, we weren't alone in not knowing how this disease is transmitted. Thank you guys for the experience and reply's. God Bless

I say get the shots. Not that bad if no bite wounds. I was attacked by a fox in my yard. When the doc realized I had scratches on my legs from briars he said saliva in the scratches were same as a bite. Or saliva in any mucus membranes are same as a bite. The bad part for me was they had to give me shots in every scratch on my leg. Not fun. But after that only a shot on scheduled days for about two weeks. When I questioned doing this the doc said "you do understand that rabies is fatal to humans and you will die". I replied " see you tomorrow" it's not worth the risk I killed my fox and had animal control pick him up for testing. When they got the results my phone rang line crazy til they reached me. Here they give the shots at health dept.

Chances are any virus present died on the gloves. However. better safe than dead. He also could have been nipped and just has not noticed the spot.

Joe

Fox exhibits nontypical behaviour. Red flag!

Rolling the dice with a deadly disease? Darwin award candidate.

Get the friggin shots!

When it comes to your health,,my advice is always to error on the side of caution. Never had the shots and don't know of anyone whose had to have them. I hear it sucks,,but it can't be worse than the rabies.

My father was attacked by a rabid javalina in his kitchen.He lives in the Arizona desert.Heard something banging against his kitchen door.when he opened it the javalina charged him and bit him.He said the shots were ok. Especially considering the alternative!

Hey WV, thanks for bringing this up. Taking chances with diseases vectored by wildlife is extremely risky. I once contacted a doe I killed which had some funny looking hair/hide. I ended up with a serious fungal infection in my skin which basically messed me up for almost 3 months and put me on medication for many, many weeks. I still have scars on my arms where the infection was active. I subsequently made a determination to always play it safe with wild animals exhibiting an odd appearance or behavior.

I'm glad he's getting the treatments. The subcutaneous shots are really no big deal other than the expense. Maybe you or someone could start a fund drive to help offset the expense. Since Obama isn't helping, I'd be glad to step up and contribute.

By the way: If this had been one of our sons or daughters, the question of treatment would have been a total non-issue.

IMO.

Get the shot.

Let's see, arms length fight, most likely both parties screaming and snarling, spit and sweat flying.

How can you not assume something got somewhere unnoticed? Risk of 100% death if mistaken about no exposure.

No brainer. Take the pincushion option. (which I see was done)

Hey, what the heck, Columbus took a chance.

Thank you for stepping up Kevin! Strong work! God bless you. Don

Going the rabies prophylaxis route was a good call IMO (WVMountaineer, I do rabies control protocol for a living as part of my day-job, if you want to chat give me a call, I'll PM my cellphone #)

I'm with the majority!

I think Pago said it best!!!!

Got bit by a Guinea Pig when I was a kid and it died two days later but was thrown out with no testing.

I went thru the shots.

Yeah, at this point in the game, I get the shots to be safe, but did he think to look around for a den. At this time of year foxes have young and may have been trying to protect the den from this camoed-up object sitting there... Rabies are rare for this time of year just coming out of a harsh winter...

A fox attacking you once they realize you are humane is just not normal at all....99% of the time the are going to go the opposite way. Get the shots!

Doesn't everyone have to sign up for it or be fined?

MikeW,sounds like maybe the Guinea pig should have gotten some shots!

Zbone, I beg to differ about rabies being rare this time of year. This is actually a peak period for raccoon-rabies breakouts in small carnivore populations. Breeding season in mid to late winter causes animals to travel outside their home territories and take diseases with them. Rabies has a median incubation period of 30 to 60 days in small mammals with 45 days being about the norm... (though it can enter the active phase in as little as 15 days or as long as six months) so if a fox was exposed to a rabid animal in late February, it would be entering the "mad" (contagious) phase about now.

Kevin, I appreciate the offer. So would he. But, money to pay for the shots is not an issue. He is simply a frugal person like most of us and was unsure if he needed to do it.

Once again, thank everyone who answered with common sense and honest concern for the situation at hand. God Bless

Fuzzy, that makes sense, but I guess it depends upon location, but the bitter cold would have killed of any sickly animals in my area during February...

Zbone, exactly, I see you are in Ohio. Your area isn't experiencing the rabies pandemic that the Souther Appalachians have been dealing with for over a decade. Yes, active rabies takes an apparent "dip" in winter months as cold-stress causes infected animals to die more quickly once they enter the contagious phase. Then there is a "rebound" as the animals exposed and infected during that period by the sick ones start to break out.

I handle rabid animal testing in a 6 County District in SW Virginia... we see every this year, when people start planting gardens, and the daffodils bloom, the crazy critters start rolling out of the woods and tackling dogs, biting people, and generally running amok...

we've had recently for a few "for instances" ...a rabid beaver slides down the opposite riverbank from a public capground, swims the 100-yard wide stream, and attacks a teenage girl, whose father kills it with a borrowed .22 rifle ... the beaver nearly killed her outright...it was rabid....

a lady saw an oppossum and a groundhog fighting in her garden...she called an officer who shot them..they were both rabid (both opposums and groundhogs rearely get rabies) .....

a lady sees a raccoon crossing the street..it looks "injured"...she picks it up, it bites her... she takes it home and puts it in a cage..it wont eat..three days later it bites her again... it's hanging off the cage bars screaming like an enraged monkey with it's eyes rolled bak in its head..she starts to get concerned (really?!) we test it...rabid...

raccoon climbs into a dog kennel with 3 large dogs, attacks them... rabid....

groundhog runs into yard and attacks full grown Sait Bernard chained to doghouse... St Bernard wants none of it... finally the groundhog backs him into a corner and the St chews his brain tnto pulp..untestable...wanta bet what it would've tested?

We had at least a half dozen domestic cows die from rabies last year... the coons and foxes act funny, the cows are curious, a nip on the nose, and bam! "Stockmen will lose"....

this isn't an occasional, quirky and rare event..we have rabid animals popping up year around, on a regular basis, and the "hot" season starts in April and runs thru the summer to early fall...

Quite frankly, any wild animal which acts out of character around me or my home is expendable. I've seen plenty of skunks, raccoons, opossums and other small mammals showing signs of rabies. Often I don't have a weapon to dispatch them. I also have a very large annual influx on brown bats to my farm. They roost in every conceivable nook and cranny of my barns and sheds. I estimate as many as 200 bats stay around here all summer, and the show at dusk is pretty amazing with bats swooping around in the darkening sky. I find enough of them dead to figure that disease (possibly rabies) takes some of them. My dogs stay vaccinated. If I ever get nipped, I'll be begging for the needle. Rabies is a horrible death, and it does kill Americans every year.

Kevin Dill you have a good, sound plan in place :-)

Rabies is almost universally fatal, with only five documented cases of people surviving.

I'd get the shots.

i think the shot would be a good idea

He took the first round today.

I appreciate all the helpful info and opinions. I especially appreciate what Cecil Sink, (Fuzzy) has done to help him through this process. It isn't as easy as one would assume. Lots of hoops and such. Support your local health department. It may very well be the only place that has the authority to ensure you receive the treatments. And they are pretty good a making sure all the I's are dotted, and the T's are crossed to ensure you get timely treatment if exposure was possible.

God Bless

Sad this happen to WV Mountaineer’s brother, and glad to know he’s started his rabies inoculations, and wish him the best…

Good thread, very informative, and since we are on the rabies subject, maybe Fuzzy can clear up some things I’ve always wondered on the subject.

BTW, when I spoke of harsh winter killing the sickly, I’m in northern Ohio and was thinking this incident happened in WV, not that far away, until I went back and reread this happened rather in North Carolina…

Since he’s started the inoculations, question I have is where I’d heard or read that this is a onetime deal, and these series of rabies shots cannot be taken again, meaning if he is bitten by another rabid animal in the future, he can be infected by this disease… Is this true?

Also, if dogs are vaccinated against rabies, can they be infected if bitten by a rabid animal, or is this inoculation only against catching it by other means, such as air born so to speak? Sorry, I’m pretty ignorant on the subject?

If that is the case, why can’t humans be inoculated pre bite, especially those at high risk as those working with animals, or such as a nuisance trapper, like myself?

Not to hijack this thread, but I know bats are a big contributor of spreading diseases, but Kevin – You be nice to those bats, they might not be around long…8^)

Seriously though, a year or so ago, I attended a nuisance trapping seminar at the ODOW and they did a long segment on the decline of native bat species, mainly due to the non-native disease known as White-nose Syndrome that is killing our native bats…

It is mainly spread when bats from different areas congregate in wintering caves…

With graphics they showed bat decline stats since the discovery of the disease a few years ago and the graph did not look good for their future, showing they could become extinct in the wild with the next ten years or so or at least in our lifetime……. I know it has the wildlife officials concerned…

Have since read where this winter, wildlife officials have confirmed that every known major bat wintering cave now has confirmed cases of this disease within…

I’m not a bat kinda person, but it’s kinda sad to think that native American bats may not be around long…

Don’t think it can’t happen, think of those folks hunting flocks in the thousands of Passenger Pigeons a mere 100 years or so ago…

Humans can be vaccinated I am.

4nolz@work - pre inoculated to a bite?

Bats: I have no issue with them in general. Their highly social nature makes them more than a normal target for rabies and other diseases which kill them. I haven't killed a bat, and I look at them as being a good thing. They can be a flying-squeaking-crapping rat when they figure out how to enter a home or other structure. Excluding them is the answer, but that can be expensive and hard to accomplish. By July I'll be able to show you piles of tarry bat guano under their roosts. If they all went away and never came back here I would notice the change. I would probably be just as happy without them. Little buggers.

You would be happy wihtout bats for a year or two, and then the explosion in mosquitos and other flying insects would drive you crazy. It sucks that they are such a good host for rabies because they are really a necessary part of the ecosystem... (takes off science teacher hat...)

but yeah, if I ever come into contact with any animal that even remotely seemed rabid I'd be getting inoculated.

Be curious to know Kevin if you general observation of your local bat population coincides with ODOW stats....

For Z Bone:

Zbone says " BTW, when I spoke of harsh winter killing the sickly, I’m in northern Ohio and was thinking this incident happened in WV, not that far away, until I went back and reread this happened rather in North Carolina… " ....

my answer: Actually it happened in Virginia, near the NC line. Yes the harsher winters in your area may possibly be contributing a bit to holding back the raccoon rabies pandemic. Even more, there is an aggressive oral raccoon vaccine program being pursued along the Appalachians from Canada South, and thru Alabama/Florida to the Gulf, Lets hope that the USDA /APHIS containment initiative holds the line at the Western edge of the Appalachians and you all never have to deal with what we are fighting here.

Zbone: "Since he’s started the inoculations, question I have is where I’d heard or read that this is a onetime deal, and these series of rabies shots cannot be taken again, meaning if he is bitten by another rabid animal in the future, he can be infected by this disease… Is this true? " .... My answer: Not exactly. Normally if someone has had the post-exposure series and has another exposure, the MD wouldn't order the whole post-exposure series, but rather a two-shot booster series. The theory is that the person should still have some immunity titer but a booster will, quite literally, "boost" the titer to a (presumed)safe level. So , not 5-shot series again if re-exposed, but probably at least a two-shot booster-course.

Zbone: "Also, if dogs are vaccinated against rabies, can they be infected if bitten by a rabid animal, or is this inoculation only against catching it by other means, such as air born so to speak? Sorry, I’m pretty ignorant on the subject? " ....

My answer(s): First question: We vaccinate and booster dogs (and cats, ferrets, and sometimes horses and even dairy-cattle in rabies hotspots) regularly to protect them and the people who interact with them from rabies. No vaccine is 100% effective so me still monitor the health of a dog, cat, or ferret for 10 days after the bite to make sure they werent contagious for rabies at the time of the bite. Animals are only contagious in the late stages of rabies so if they're not very sick or dead after 10 days they couldn't have transmitted rabies. WE DO THIS EVEN IF THE ANIMAL"S SHOTS ARE UP T O DATE. Question #2 ...pets are vaccinated to protect against bite (and to a lessre extent saliva contact) with rabid wild, feral, or stray animals. Airborne transmission of rabies just doesn't happen, the virus is too fragile in the environment.

Additionally we are all ignorant on some subjects. No need for apologies there. The great thing about life is the ability to keep learning right up to the end :-)

Zbone: "If that is the case, why can’t humans be inoculated pre bite, especially those at high risk as those working with animals, or such as a nuisance trapper, like myself? "

My answer: We are. In rabies pandemic areas like where I live and work, Veterinarians, Animal Control Officers, State trappers, Game Wardens, Environmental Health Specialists, who routinely work with live or dead small mammals, and brain tissue from the same, are routinely given the Pre-Exposure vaccination regimen. Then, if actually or potentially exposed, we get a follow-up post exposure regimen. This is based on risk. We are in high risk professions in a high risk area.

Zbone: "Not to hijack this thread, but I know bats are a big contributor of spreading diseases, but Kevin – You be nice to those bats, they might not be around long…8^) "

My answer: Yes, bats are valuable and important animals to the eco-system. They do occasionally pop up rabid (with their own specific strain of rabies and not the raccoon rabies strain we are battling here) but if rabies control protocols are followed, the risk can be minimized. Please don't kill or displace bats.

another blurb on bats...sadly, though almost no one is more "pro-bat" than I, and I abhor the thought of killing them, I have killed at least a dozen of them in the course of my job (for rabies testing)...THAT sucks :-(

Outstanding information Fuzzy. Having spent a lifetime outdoors; a lifetime owning pets; and owning a farm for 30+ years, I've had a lot of contact with animals both domestic and wild.

With respect to bats, I have no animosity at all. I know their benefits to the ecosystem, and they don't bother me with their presence...until they become obnoxious in their roosting habits. If you've never hosted a colony of bats on your farm you'd have to imagine the difficulty of achieving full exclusion. A brown bat can slip through a 1/2" slit or gap in any material. I once counted over 60 bats emerge from the dormers of a nice home. The ridge vent had a small gap and the bats found it. The homeowner had no idea until a guest spent the night and heard the scratching/fluttering noises at dusk and dawn. One of my storage sheds has an eave area where bats commonly roost. I take visitors out there during the day and show them the bats...often between 20 and 30+...hanging just above their heads and quietly waiting for sundown.

Rabies: the disease is often associated with 'mad dog' behavior and produces an emotional fear/loathing reaction. A disturbing and ugly death is often the outcome. Think about it: rabid dogs, rabid bats, rabid foxes...they all conjure up images of creatures with fangs out, slavering and foaming, and full-on attacks. That's not how it usually happens, but the stereotype persists. The oft-result is that fear and loathing lead to emotional killing 'just to be safe'. I get that. I suspect if a rabid bat bit me or my wife I'd be doing something to get rid of 'my' bats. I'm not saying I'd kill them of course, but they might not exactly enjoy the tactics I'd employ in an effort to dissuade them from remaining. Most of us wouldn't willingly live with 200 mature snakes holed up within mere yards of our patio...even if we were told they were generally harmless and only crawled around our homes at night. Imagine looking out and seeing 20 or 30 of them on the lawn...that's similar to my bat situation.

I am very pleased to hear he is getting the treatment, his family needs him and even if insurance is most worth it.

Bats are great, I grew up in an area with lots of them and learned a lot about bats. Incredible natural insect control and an important part of the ecosystem. But, don't tolerate a bat exhibiting atypical behavior or found on the ground. Dispatch those humanly and handle the operation in bio-hazard style.

once again Kevin, it sounds like you have an intelligent and viable plan :-)

glad to read that he got the shots. would be very upset to read that he chose not to and got sick!

Fuzzy - Thanx for the info...Who or where do I go to pursue these Pre-Exposure vaccination regimen? Are the special clinics in certain regions? Am sure this likely the first time request for my family physician...

Zbone, family physicians (and even ER physicians) are almost universally pretty much in the dark about rabies prophylaxis. I will make an exception to that in saying if the Dr has had an especial intellectual interest in rabies, has worked in the public health field, or done a public health module while in med school, in an area where rabies is prevalent, he/she may be pretty conversant.

If you want the pre-exposure regimen, you'll need to approach your local health department and explain why you feel you may be at risk.

They may try to talk you out of it by quoting statistics and explaining how expensive it is, (it really IS) there may even be some talk of the risk of side effects and complications from the vaccine (these are rare and minor with the current RIG type vaccine) ... they may tell you "if you are exposed, THEN you can get the shots " (true, if you are exposed and KNOW you are exposed. every few years we have a human rabies death that can't be traced to a known exposure. these are usually bat rabies, but not always.)

I hope this helps.

I took the post-exposure shots many years ago in south Georgia after a close encounter with a raccoon that turned out to be rabid. I wasn't bitten but there was a lot of saliva being thrown around, and I was worried about some having gotten in my eyes. The shots were NOT A BIG DEAL at all, and that was 40 years ago. 'Better safe than sorry' seems to be a good approach here, and I'm glad to hear he is taking the shots.

Yeah Fuzzy, was afraid of that... Trying to find a place that'll inoculate Pre-Exposure vaccine....

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