Rabies: a confirmed case in a bat in the Vendée region

A bat carrying the rabies virus was found in a weakened state on June 26, 2016, in a public park in Fontenay-le-Comte, in the Vendée region. The very next day after it was found by a passerby, the infected bat was taken in by a veterinarian. In France, indigenous cases of rabies are now observed only in bats. In a press release, the Regional Health Agency (ARS) of the Pays-de-la-Loire urges animal owners who may have come into contact with the bat found on the ground to take their animals to their veterinarian immediately. This is because bats can transmit the virus that causes rabies to domestic or wild animals through bites, scratches, or contact between an open wound and the saliva of an infected animal. Although transmission to humans is much rarer, the Regional Health Agency urges anyone who has come into contact with a bat to consult their primary care physician as soon as possible. Preventive treatment for rabies is effective when administered promptly after contact with an infected animal. However, if left untreated before symptoms appear, the disease can be fatal. Healthcare professionals in Fontenay-le-Comte have been informed of the situation. Bats are a protected species, and it is prohibited to capture, handle, or kill them. If you find a dead, injured, or weakened bat, it is recommended that you do not touch it with bare hands, do not pick it up, and contact a veterinarian or notify the Departmental Directorate for the Protection of Populations (DDPP), which will take charge of it. In the event of contact with a bat (licking, biting, scratching), wash the wound with Marseille soap, rinse thoroughly, and then apply an antiseptic before consulting a doctor. In the same town in the Vendée department, another case of bat rabies was detected in 2007. Following the death of a cat that had contracted the disease in Fontenay-le-Comte in November, tests confirmed that the animal had indeed been infected by a bat. This was the first case in France since 2004 of a non-imported domestic animal becoming infected. In total, about fifteen people received preventive rabies treatment at the hospital in Nantes. Similarly, in June 2015, the Pasteur Institute confirmed a case of rabies in a sick bat found in the town of Gouvieux, in the Oise department. The two people who had discovered and handled the animal were immediately referred to the rabies center in Compiègne to undergo preventive treatment.