Richmond doctor wakes up to bat trying to crawl into her mouth: ‘This is real life’

Key Points:

• Dr. Krista Edelman, a gastroenterologist from Richmond, Virginia, woke up to find a bat trying to crawl into her mouth, an incident she shared on Instagram where it went viral with over 1.1 million views.
• Realizing the serious health risk, Edelman went to the emergency room to begin rabies post-exposure treatment, including the vaccine series and rabies immunoglobulin, after having direct contact with the bat and no prior rabies vaccination.
• She emphasized the importance of checking older homes for bats, especially attics and chimneys, and warned that bat bites can be very small and go unnoticed, urging people to seek medical advice after any potential bat contact.
• The CDC highlights that bats are the most common rabies-positive animals in the U.S., and prompt treatment after exposure is critical as rabies is preventable if treated before symptoms appear.
• Edelman’s experience serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of bats in homes and the importance of quick medical response to potential rabies exposure.