Preventing health problems caused by bats

Bats are flying mammals that are found throughout Québec, both in cities and in rural areas. Active mainly at night, bats feed on insects captured in mid air. Because of the huge number of insects they eat, bats play an important role in the environment.

Bat saliva may, however, contain the rabies virus. Bats can transmit the virus to humans by a bite or a scratch, even a small one. Rabies is an incurable and fatal disease.

Histoplasmosis is another disease that can be transmitted by bats, this time in their droppings. Bat droppings sometimes contain microscopic fungi that cause this disease in humans. There is a risk of getting histoplasmosis in places where large quantities of bat droppings have accumulated.

Histoplasmosis is an infection that generally attacks the lungs. It sometimes affects other parts of the body, for example, the eyes, liver, central nervous system or skin. The symptoms vary from person to person. The disease is rare, usually mild and not contagious. People who get it can be treated.

It is very important to avoid coming into contact with a bat. If a bat has entered the house, close the doors and windows to confine it to one room. Get everyone and all pets out of the room.

Contact

If you have had physical contact with a bat or suspect you have, make sure you take the following steps:

• Wait for the bat to settle and capture it safely
• Immediately wash the skin that has been in contact with the bat with soap and water for 15 minutes.
• Call the Info Santé 811 service. A nurse will assess the situation and refer you, if necessary, to a health service.
• Consult a veterinarian as soon as possible if a pet has come into contact with a bat.

No contact

In summer

If a bat has entered a building and there has been no physical contact with a person or pet, try to take it outside without touching it. Follow these instructions:

• Confine the bat to one room by closing the interior door(s) separating the room from other rooms.
• Open the door to the outside if there is one in the room; otherwise open the windows, taking care to remove the mosquito screens.
• Turn off the lights in the room.
• Leave the room, closing the door behind you.

Normally, the bat will leave the house on its own. If it does not leave, wait for it to settle and capture it safely. It can then be released outdoors, ideally at the foot of a tree in an uncrowded area.

In winter

If you find a bat in a building during the winter, wait for it to settle and capture it safely.

Then contact one of the wildlife rehabilitation centres that accept bats in winter. The list is available on the Neighbourhood Bat Watch website.

Always wear leather gloves or thick work gloves when handling a bat. Cotton or latex gloves are not safe. When you have finished, disinfect your gloves with alcohol and wash your hands with soap and water.

If you need help, explanatory videos are available on the Neighbourhood Bat Watch website.

If the bat is injured or dead:

Put a rigid container over it and then slide a piece of cardboard under the container to trap it.

• If the bat is injured:
  • Place the container with the injured bat in a dark, quiet place.
  • If you have come into physical contact with the bat, contact Info Santé 811.
  • If you have not come into contact with the bat, contact the Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs at 1 877 346 6763.
• If the bat is dead:
  • Put the container with the dead bat in a garbage bag. If you did not touch the bat, throw the bag in the garbage.
  • If you had physical contact with the bat, put the bag in the freezer and contact Info Santé 811.
• If the bat is alive:
  • Wait for the bat to settle.
  • Capture the bat by placing a rigid container over it. Slide a piece of cardboard under the container to trap the bat in it.
  • Stick the cardboard to the container with adhesive tape so that the bat cannot get out of the container.

Here are some tips to prevent bats from getting into a building.

If bats have established their colony in your home, you may notice their droppings. The dried droppings (guano) and odour are not toxic. However, if you are planning work in the vicinity (e.g., handling home insulation), precautions must be taken when decontaminating, as there is a risk of exposure to histoplasmosis.

Go to the page Cleaning up an environment contaminated with bat droppings to find out more.

• Bats - Gouvernement du Canada
• Neighbourhood Bat Watch