Hundreds receive rabies vaccination as RI faces ‘unprecedented’ bat season.

Halloween may be a few months away, but many Rhode Islanders are already facing a scary situation: the “unprecedented” bat season.

On social media, officials with the Rhode Island Department of Health recently spoke out He said that a relatively large number of residents were exposed to bats this year, and advice was given on how to deal with them indoors.

About 200 people in Rhode Island developed rabies after exposure protection newly. This treatment consists of doses of human rabies immune globulin and rabies vaccine. It is given on the day of exposure to people who have not been previously vaccinated. People who have been exposed to the virus should get their shots three, seven and 14 days after exposure.

Bats are one of the most common rabid animals in the country, according to the British Daily Mail. Center for Disease ControlIt is the leading cause of rabies deaths among people in the United States. Mad bats are found in 49 states, with the exception of Hawaii.

Although the idea of ​​rabid animals might conjure up images of mad eyes and foaming at the mouth, it is not possible to tell if a bat has rabies just by looking at it. Their behavior can provide a clue, as sick bats can be active during the day or found in places they shouldn’t be in homes or on lawns.

It’s not clear why Rhode Island sees so much bat activity, but the animals are usually most active during this time of year. The big brown bat and the little brown bat are the most common bat species found on man-made structures in Rhode Island. They form maternal colonies in late spring, where the mothers give birth and raise their young together. Warm attics are a particularly attractive place for critters. Females usually have only one pup per year.

Baby bats are born blind during the second week of June in Rhode Island. according to State Environmental Management Department. Adult females leave their roosts at dusk each night to feed on insects, but return frequently to check on their young. After four to six weeks, the pups begin to learn how to fly.

In late July, the pups begin to go out with their mothers to feed at night, and later in the summer the mothers and pups leave their well-warmed perches to find a place to hibernate.

Because of this activity, bats can often find themselves in close contact with humans during late summer. Bat fangs can be so small that people can be bitten without realizing it.

Officials in Rhode Island provided instructions on how to handle bats in the home:

Residents who find a bat in their home and do not know if they have been exposed to rabies should close all windows and doors, and leave the bat where it is. They should wear goggles, heavy gloves and long sleeves, as bats should not be handled with bare hands.

Residents should not chase bats. Instead, they must wait for it to land and place a small container on top of it. Ideally, the container should be transparent. They should then place a piece of cardboard or the lid of the container underneath, to trap the animal. The residents must then turn the container over, being careful not to release the animal. It should not be airtight, and small openings should be made for ventilation if possible.

Rhode Island residents should then call the state’s rabies hotline at 401-222-2577 for testing instructions.

Massachusetts officials too He says If residents are sure they have not been exposed to a bat, they can simply close the room where the bat is located. If you leave the window open and dim the lights, the bat should want to fly on its own as long as it’s not too cold.

the bat groups New England has been devastated by a condition known as White nose syndrome, which was first observed in a cave near Albany, New York in February 2006. The disease is caused by a fungus believed to have come from Europe. Affected bats appear to have a white powdery substance on their faces, forearms and wings. The fungus disrupts bats’ metabolism, causing them to lose vital fat reserves that help them survive throughout the winter.

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