How to Remove Bats:
Facts on Bat Diseases

Your local Animal Control &
Wildlife Removal Company

The Common Diseases and Concerns with Bat Infestation

Hi my name is Brendan Mangnitz and I am the owner of 24/7 Wildlife Control. I have been in business now on my own for nearly five years and I have been in this industry for close to 10 years working with friends, family and other companies while learning, training and understanding the wildlife removal & nuisance animal control industry. I started off by graduating from the University of South Florida with my Business Management degree. After this degree I got into the field of wildlife control because I knew there was a big issue with bats getting into people's residences and I realized that there are not many professional bat removal companies. I wanted to be one of the most professional bat removal companies and bat trapping companies out there. You want to hire professional and honest bat removal and bat trapper that is properly licensed, insured, bonded, has workers comp, but additionally you want to hire bat removal companies and bat trappers that show up in uniforms, have wonderful customer service, have clean trucks and respect both of you and the animals like the bats being trapped. We treat our animals in a humane way.

pictures of rabid bats

Bats play a crucial part in our environment. However, they are also associated with diseases and bacteria that are extremely dangerous to individuals. Discover how you can remain safe when bats are near.

Should you be concerned about bats? Absolutely!. You need to make sure you stay protected. What are the common concerns that we deal with regarding bats and the bacteria and diseases affiliated with bats in the attic? Number one is rabies. Rabies is a disease caused by a virus and is almost always fatal. It spreads through a bite and infects the animal (or human). Additionally rabies is also present in bat saliva. If you have an open wound and a rabid bat spits on you, it can pass the rabies virus on to you. In a study from the CDC, bats are the most frequently reported animal species with rabies in the US, specifically the Eastern and South Eastern parts of the country. If you think you've been exposed to bat rabies, this means that you've either been bitten and scratched or spat on by a bat. You need to make sure you report this bat exposure to your local CDC office immediately. Bites and scratches should be assessed by your healthcare provider and reported to the Public Health Care system.

diseases from bat poop

Diseases carried by Bats

Several extremely critical illnesses, diseases, and bacteria are concerns connected to bats.

Rabies is perhaps the most well known disease associated with bats. Along with critters such as dogs, foxes, raccoons, and skunks, bats are one of the primary animals that transfer rabies to humans.

An exposure to rabies normally develops when an individual is attacked by an infected animal. It can also be passed on when the saliva from an infectected animal comes in contact with an individual's mouth area, sight, nasal area, or an open wound or orifice.

When an individual comes across rabies, appropriate management of a vaccine known as post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) can prevent the rabies disease from spreading. Once an individual becomes contaminated and signs start to occur, rabies vaccinations are almost always critical. Each year in the United States, up to 30,000 individuals receive PEP due to prospective exposures to infected animal, such as bats.

Histoplasmosis is another sickness associated with bats. Its symptoms differ greatly, but the issue mainly impacts the respiratory system. Sometimes, other body parts suffer also. When this happens it can be critical, and even fatal, if left untreated.

Histoplasmosis is due to an infection that develops in the ground or soil and has been contaminated with excrement from these animals, such as bats. droppings also known as bat guano, can pollute the ground and cause contagious spores to be spread when the ground is disrupted.

Even though it can be found all over the world, it is extensive in certain places of the U.S. and can be seen in places that harbor large populations or colonies of bats, such as caverns.

While most infected individuals have no obvious symptoms, anti-fungal medicines are used to deal with many forms of the issue. If you have been in contact with bat guano, or feel that you are showing signs of illness, you need to contact your local doctor immediately.

prevent diseases from bats

Bats and Diseases around the World

Even though rabies and histoplasmosis can be seen all over the world, some illnesses associated with bats tend to be discovered specifically in certain areas of the world. Research suggests that bats might cause several hemorrhagic fevers, which affect several body organ systems in the body and often cause to life-threatening illnesses.

One of these illnesses is Marburg Hemorrhagic Fever which is found specifically in Africa. Past breakouts have shown that Marburg Hemorrhagic Fever destroys up to 90% of those infected.

p>While the organic variety had for years been unidentified, new research suggests that clean fruit bats are a organic resource of herpes, and herpes has been spread over and over again from clean fruit bats in Uganda.

The same may be true for Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever. The bacteria that causes this sickness is often generally known as the "cousin" of Marburg Fever, since they are the only unique organisms that are supposed to be a team of bacteria known as filoviruses. Like Marburg, Ebola is extremely critical and can be found mostly in Africa. Recent reports indicate that, as with Marburg, bats are likely to be a organic resource of herpes, although no Ebola has been spread from bats.

Two other bacteria - Nipah (which causes Nipah bacteria encephalitis) and Hendra (which causes Hendra bacteria disease) - are also associated with bats. Analysis shows that Hendra bacteria is associated with clean fruit bats (commonly called traveling foxes) in Sydney. Nipah and related bacteria are also associated with the same team of bats in Southeast Japan and parts of Africa, although breakouts of sickness in individuals have so far have been limited to Malaysia, Singapore, India, and Bangladesh. Both bacteria can cause serious breathing and neurologic sickness in individuals.

Another team of bacteria known as coronaviruses have been found in several types of bats. Coronavirus disease can sometimes cause difficulty breathing and sickness in individuals, but these bacteria were also suggested as a factor in the occurrence of Severe Serious Respiratory Problem (SARS) in Southeast Japan. While bats do not carry or transfer SARS, research have connected coronaviruses to bats in nations all over the entire globe.

Lyssaviruses have been discovered in every populated region. This team of bacteria causes rabies, an accessory for other illnesses that can be critical to individuals. While existing rabies vaccinations are effective against many of the bacteria in this team, several Lyssaviruses recognized in Africa and Japan mainly associated with bats cannot be avoided with the existing rabies vaccinations.

Further research may highlight the part of bats as the resource of these bacteria and their ability to transfer illnesses due to these bacteria to individuals.

I strongly recommend giving me a call at 247wildlifecontrol.com. My name is Brendan Mangnitz and I'll be more than happy to go over any concerns of bacterial diseases or viruses that bat infestations can cause. If you need any more information you can always visit my How To Remove Bats guide for more bat facts.