Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Bats, cats, and rabies in an urban community.
- Journal:
- Southern medical journal
- Year:
- 1993
- Authors:
- Hoff, G L et al.
- Affiliation:
- Kansas City Health Department
Plain-English summary
Bats can carry rabies, a serious virus that can affect both humans and pets. In cities, bats often live in buildings and might bite people or get into fights with cats or dogs. If a bat bites someone, it's important to get rabies treatment right away, even before you know if the bat was rabid. Cats are more often involved with rabid bats than dogs, but they are usually not vaccinated against rabies, which increases the risk. To keep everyone safe, it's crucial for communities to ensure that both cats and dogs are vaccinated against rabies.
Abstract
Bats are the primary vectors of rabies in humans in the United States. In the urban environment they generally are found within buildings where they may bite people or be attacked by cats or dogs. Given the high probability that any bat that bites a person may be rabid, antirabies prophylaxis should be administered as soon as possible after the incident. This should not be delayed pending laboratory results on the bat. Children should be taught to avoid contact with moribund bats. Cats are more likely to be involved with rabid bats than dogs, but they are less likely to be vaccinated against rabies. The occasional rabid cat in an urban community may have acquired its infection from a bat. Therefore, it is vital that communities enforce rabies vaccination for cats as well as dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8211327/