Sarah Mills: I don't want to live in a world where people are shot for their opinions
Sarah Mills says she was no follower of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, but the idea that people are being killed ov...
Residents should be careful when coming in contact with bats, in light of more reported bat bites across the province recently, say health officials.
Within the past few months, there has been more bats in communities, and more people are getting scratched or bitten when trying to capture the animals, said Dr. Simon Kapaj, a medical health officer with the Saskatchewan Health Authority.
Read more:
- Increase in animal bites prompts warning from SHA
- Vet urges public to protect pets after rabid bat discovery
- Don’t interfere with baby wildlife, Sask. Government urges
Kapaj said bats carry various infections, including rabies, a serious virus that can be fatal.
He added that while there are colonies of bats within cities, there has been an increase of them in more uncommon urban areas, and added they can also be found in places like cabins.
With more bats in the community, Kapaj said “bad” bites and scratches come as a result, which leads to a need for more rabies assessments.
According to the Government of Canada Rabies Monitoring website, only two rabies cases resulted in death since 1924.
The doctor stressed the importance of getting these tests done to prevent a deadly infection.
“If you suspect you or your child have been bitten, scratched, or have been sleeping with a bat in your room, seek medical care and rabies shots will be provided if appropriate,” he said.
The Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment’s knowledge base article on managing bats in buildings also recommended the affected area should be washed immediately with soap and warm water.
Kapaj said many individuals who have been bitten did not handle bats safely when trying to capture them.
When people are capturing or handling an individual bat, they should never touch bats with bare hands and they should always wear thick gloves, which is the easiest way to prevent rabies exposure.
“Unless you know what you’re doing, it’s better to let the bats go away, open the windows and that’s the safest,” Kapaj said.
Even if a bat lands on your body, Kapaj said the bite can be too small to identify, and reminds the community to be careful.
He also noted that because testing bats without safe capture methods can be difficult, if the bat involved in the incident is not available then doctors will administer rabies shots.
Read more:
