Hawkesbury residents are being urged to call wildlife rescuers rather than handle injured or distressed bats, following a sharp increase in people requiring medical assessment after bites and scratches.
The warning has local relevance, with a flying-fox colony near the intersection of Hawkesbury Valley Way and Macquarie Street in Windsor.
ABC News has reported concerns about increased encounters between people and struggling flying-foxes during a suspected food shortage along the NSW coast.
NSW Health says 43 people were assessed following bat bites or scratches between September 28 and October 10, compared with 10 during the same fortnight last year.
Those figures represent people assessed after contact with bats, not confirmed infections or necessarily hospital admissions.
The concern is Australian bat lyssavirus, a virus closely related to rabies that can be carried by fruit bats, also known as flying-foxes, and insect-eating microbats.
Human infection is extremely rare, but there is no effective treatment once symptoms develop.
NSW Health’s Director in Health Protection, Keira Glasgow, urged people to leave rescues to trained handlers.
“If you see a bat that is injured or in distress, call your local wildlife rescue service and do not touch it,” she said.
Food shortages can cause flying-foxes to remain in backyard feeding trees during daylight instead of returning to their usual colonies. A bat seen during the day is not necessarily infected, and its appearance cannot reliably indicate whether it carries the virus.
Residents who find a bat injured, grounded or caught in netting should keep children and pets away and call WIRES on 1300 094 737. They should not attempt to pick it up, untangle it or manage the rescue themselves.
Anyone bitten or scratched should immediately wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water for at least 15 minutes, apply an antiviral antiseptic such as povidone-iodine, and seek urgent medical attention.
This advice applies even to people previously vaccinated against rabies. Do not wait for symptoms.
Simply living near a flying-fox colony or walking past roosting bats does not constitute a lyssavirus exposure. The warning concerns direct contact, particularly bites, scratches or saliva entering broken skin, the eyes, nose or mouth.
Flying-foxes play an important role in pollination and seed dispersal. Calling trained rescuers helps protect both residents and wildlife.
