6 FOOT 3, I agree with you in terms of avoiding messing around withn them. That's just common sense concerning any wild animal. I'm not saying there's no risk among bats, just that the numbers hazardous incidents overall seem pretty small. Some people seem terrified of bats, making a superstitious association that they're evil creatures, probably because they're nocternal and seem mysterious. Bats are too busy catching insects. They rarely come into direct contact with humans, unless they're sick. Even then they'd most likely seek to be alone.
Where people can get into potential trouble with bats, is if they find one on the ground. Again, people need to leave these animals alone, especially ones that show signs of being unhealthy.
Yes, there are plenty of articles about rabid bats. Here's what I found in the first one listed on Google.
According to a New York Times article (Oct. 8, 1995), 3 Americans died from rabies. The article says
"apparently caused by viruses from bats." It's hard to say what it meant by "apparently". Regardless, when problems with rabies crop up, especially those involving bats, it can cause a state of mass hysteria, thanks to such newspaper reports.
I don't know much about bats infecting humans in other countries. About becoming infected from bat saliva, a couple of things come to mind. It might depend on close proximity to large colonies of bats. If there are large swarms of thousands or tens of thousands flying overhead, not just a handful flitting around catching bugs near streetlights, then a small number of those could be infected, and best to get out of the line of fire just to be on the safe side. If nothing else, they could expel other forms of bodily waste while flying. I would think the odds of being hit directly in the eyes by saliva from a rabid bat, would be like winning the jackpot of a mega-lottery, although not quite as rewarding.
The article indicates between 1970 and 1995, there were 15-18 documented cases of death in the U.S. from bat rabies that showed no signs of bites or scratches. While such deaths are certainly tragic, that's still a pretty small number of people covering a time span of a quarter of a century.
The article further stated
"But biologists for the New York State Health Department and a bat conservation group stressed that the handful of deaths from bat-carried rabies in this country should not cause panic." That seems to suggest that there may have been some degree of public hysteria in certain communities about bats.
It also states
"The rate of infection from rabies in bats has been nearly constant for decades, with far fewer than 1 percent of all bats in North America infected at any time, according to New York and Federal scientists." That suggests out of a colony of say one million bats, less than 10,000 may be rabid. That may seem to be a large number, and it is. But considering they are also dispersed and scattered, chances of having one spit in your eye, or even bite you, is extremely small.
Rabies Death Adds to Unease About Bats - The New York Times
Another article from the New York Dept. of Health is dated June 19, 2008. It indicates, nationwide, bats caused 38-41 people to become infected with rabies between 1993 to 1998, a five-year time span. Keep in mind too that populations have grown significantly.
"Rabid bats were responsible for 38 of 41 human rabies cases in the nation since 1990. Three human rabies cases, all fatal, have been diagnosed in New York State since 1993. Two cases involved young girls infected with bat rabies and the third case involved an adult male infected with dog rabies in Africa." That changes the NY Times article that said all three were apparently infected by bats.
Interestingly, the article also says,
"Rabid bats have been found in all of New York's 62 counties. Each year, more than 1,400 New Yorkers undergo rabies treatment because the bat they were exposed to was NOT caught for testing. About 3 percent – or 1 in 33 -- of bats tested in New York State are found to have rabies."
State Health Commissioner Demonstrates how to Catch a Bat in Recognition of Rabies Awareness Month
Regardless, whether you're talking about bats, skunks, racoons, coyotes, or even unvaccinated dogs and cats, it's best to be aware of the risks and get quick medical treatment to be on the safe side. Apart from rabid animals, any wild animal has the potential of being dangerous. Even the shy and graceful deer can attack humans under certain conditions.
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