Doctor in Richmond, Virginia wakes up to find bat in her mouth

Key Points:

• Dr. Krista Edelman, a Virginia gastroenterologist, woke up to find a bat inside her mouth and promptly removed it, later sharing a public service announcement about the risks of rabies from bat exposures.
• Although the bat tested negative for rabies, Edelman and her husband began preventive rabies treatment, highlighting the difficulty in knowing if a bat bite has occurred since bites can be tiny and leave no visible marks.
• The CDC warns that contact with bats is the leading cause of human rabies deaths in the US, and people who wake up in a room with a bat should seek medical advice even if no bite or scratch is visible.
• Edelman’s experience underscores the importance of being proactive after any possible bat exposure, as rabies is nearly always fatal once symptoms appear, and early treatment is crucial.
• A recent case in Canada involving a child who died of rabies after waking with a bat on his face but no visible bite further emphasizes the need for immediate medical consultation after bat contact.