A rare bat virus is back, and no, it’s not COVID this time.
I think the world has had enough of weird bat-induced viruses for at least a century or three. But an Australian man has sparked new fears as he contracted a rare virus from a bat. He is now hospitalised and in critical condition.
Several months ago, the man was bitten by a feral bat. Thinking nothing of it, he continued with his life. But, eventually, the symptoms of the virus transmitted by the bat became worse. He was admitted to the hospital, and it was found that he had contracted Australian bat lyssavirus.
Speaking in a press release, NSW Health Protection director Keira Glasgow spoke of the man’s sickness. “This is a very tragic situation. The man had been bitten by a bat several months ago and received treatment following the injury. Further investigation is underway to understand whether other exposures or factors played a role in his illness.”
No Effective Treatment For Bat Bite Virus
The virus passed on to the Australian man is closely linked to rabies. It is transmitted via bites and scratches. The symptoms initially appear to be flu-like, but quickly progress to delirium, paralysis, and eventually death.
In her press release, Glasgow spoke of how little hope there is for people who catch the nasty bat virus. “It is incredibly rare for the virus to transmit to humans, but once symptoms of lyssavirus start in people who are scratched or bitten by an infected bat, sadly, there is no effective treatment.”
The Australian man will remain in care, and doctors will do what they can for him. However, there is little to no treatment that can help him.
For others in areas with possibly infected bats, Glasgow has some advice in the case of a bite or scratch. “You will need to wash the wound thoroughly for 15 minutes right away with soap and water and apply an antiseptic with anti-virus action, such as betadine, and allow it to dry,” she said. “You will then require treatment with rabies immunoglobulin and rabies vaccine.”
It appears people with a phobia of bats aren’t completely wrong. They’re pretty nasty.