Regina family gets precautionary vaccination after rabid bat found in home

Published Friday September 5th, 2008

THE CANADIAN PRESS

REGINA - Members of a Regina family are being vaccinated as a precaution after finding a rabid bat in their home.

Medical officials say the vaccination doesn't mean anyone in the house was actually bitten by the bat.

The Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region says reports from the public about bats in homes and apartments have been higher than normal in the last month.

Dr. Maurice Hennick, a spokesman for the health region, says bats are common but cases of rabies in humans across Canada over the decades have been rare.

A dozen bats have tested positive for rabies in Saskatchewan over the last six years, and in two of those cases the animals had been in close contact with people.

The rabies virus, which infects the brain, is passed on by the bite or scratch of a rabid animal and is always fatal if not treated.

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