Bat tests positive for rabies; officials issue tips to follow

BY KATHY BARATTA Staff Writer

MANALAPAN – Bats in your belfry might not be as bad as those in the attic now that a bat that was captured in Manalapan has been found to have been infected with rabies.

A township resident had to undergo rabies treatment because a close encounter with the bat occurred in a part of the home that was being renovated.

Township Committeewoman Susan Cohen made the announcement regarding the infected bat at the Aug. 22 Township Committee meeting in order to alert members of the public to the potential health threat.

According to a handout prepared by the township, there are two kinds of bats indigenous to the area that will try to take up residence in a home.

They are easily named and include the big brown bat, which has a wingspan of up to 14 inches. Each spring the big brown bats go forth in colonies of 200 or more to seek homes in private residences and professional buildings throughout New Jersey.

According to the literature, if left undisturbed the big brown bat colonies will return to the same roost each spring. The big brown bat is said to account for more than 75 percent of the contact bats have with people and pets, and is the bat most often tested for rabies.

The little brown bat is another common bat found in the area and is quite common in homes during the spring and summer according to the literature, which adds that abandoned iron mines are the bats’ choice for hibernation.

Encounters with humans and pets are less likely with the little brown bat than with the big brown bat and the little brown bat is less likely to become infected with rabies.

The literature states that the only permanent way to exclude bats from a home is to bat-proof the residence.

Bat-proofing consists of sealing off entry points into a structure such as roof edges, under eaves, soffits or loose boards, roof openings and vents and crevices around chimneys.

The literature cautions property owners who are attempting to bat-proof their home to be careful not to end up blocking bats inside a roost location.

Evidence of the presence of a bat or bats includes an accumulation of droppings in one area of an attic or droppings and rub marks at the entry points.

Another way to confirm the presence of bats in a home is to wait outside the home in the warmer months from 30 minutes before sundown to 30 minutes after sundown to watch for their flight.

The literature warns that bats can gain entry into a finished room in a home from an established roost in the attic or a wall space. The literature also warns that the removal of a bat found in a home should only be attempted after it has been determined that no contact with humans or animals has been made by the bat.

Bite marks from bats can be very slight and may go unnoticed. Any captured bat should be handed over to the health department for rabies testing. Never release a bat if you have reason to suspect it has made contact with either a pet or a person.

Instructions for attempting to remove a bat from the home include trying to lure the animal into one room in which the lights have been turned on and a window opened. Bats rely on air currents for flight and will likely leave at their normal time of activity in the evening.

No attempt to encounter a bat should be made without wearing heavy protective gloves, especially if an individual is trying to capture the animal in a tin can or other lidded container.

It is noted that only a small number of bats are found to be infected with rabies each year and that bats are necessary for the control of insects and are therefore necessary to the natural ecology.

The full content of the information that was handed out at the Township Committee meeting can be obtained by visiting the Web site address provided in the literature. The link is www.state.nj.us/health/cd/bats.htm.