Martensville resident receives rabies vaccination after bat bites

A Martensville resident has been vaccinated against rabies after they were bitten on the neck by a bat.

According to a statement from the city, the bat may have been protecting its young when it bit the resident “multiple times on the neck.”

Read more:

• City of Warman advises caution after rabies-infected bat found in yard
• Health officials warn more people are being bitten by bats across Sask.
• Sask. recognizes World Rabies Day after dead bat found to be carrying virus in Warman

A city spokesperson said the bat bite happened when the man was taking his dog outside in the evening. He was vaccinated as a precaution, the spokesperson said, and his dog was also checked out even though it was not bitten.

“Everyone’s doing OK,” the spokesperson said.

The city advised residents to avoid contact with bats and to ensure pets and young children are kept safe from wildlife. Anyone who has been bitten or scratched by a bat was advised to seek medical attention immediately.

The bat bite in Martensville follows an incident in nearby Warman last week, where a dead bat discovered in a yard tested positive for the rabies virus. A bylaw officer found the bat, and submitted it for testing because it appeared unusual.

No bat bites or injuries were reported in Warman, but the Saskatchewan Health Authority recently warned about an increase in the number of bat bites and scratches reported in the province.

Krista Barrajon said her husband was the person who suffered the bite.

She said on the evening of September 11, he was sitting in a deck chair outside their Third Street home after letting their dog out. That’s when he felt something on his neck.

“(He) just felt the wings and that go by him, and he came in and he told me he was bit by a bat, and you could see some marks on the back of his neck that night,” Barrajon said.

She said her husband had to go to work that night, but when he came home the next morning he decided to seek medical attention.

“He went to the doctor right away, and they sent him to City Hospital to get to start on his series of rabies vaccines,” Barrajon said.

He ended up getting four shots, and Barrajon said he’s doing fine now. The couple also made sure their dog was up to date on vaccinations.

She wasn’t sure where the bat came from, and said it may have been on the deck chair or may have come off their roof. But Barrajon said she’s noticed more bats than usual in Martensville this summer, especially at night or during the early morning hours. After this experience, she said she’s more cautious when she goes outside.

“I’m looking around all the time now,” Barrajon said.

She said they notified the City of Martensville about the incident, because people need to be aware that bats can present a risk, even if they’re just sitting on the deck.

Dr. Simon Kapaj, a medical health officer with the Saskatchewan Health Authority, said bats carry various infections, including rabies, a serious virus that can be fatal.

Kapaj stressed the importance of getting rabies tests done to prevent a serious 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.

According to the Government of Canada’s rabies-monitoring website, only two rabies cases of rabies have resulted in a death since 1924.

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 should always wear thick gloves, which is the best 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 a bite can sometimes be too small to identify, and he reminded the community to be careful.

If the bat involved in a bite is not available for testing, Kapaj said doctors will administer rabies shots as a precaution.

–with files from 650 CKOM’s Marija Robinson