The Berrien County Health Department has issued a warning, fearing the bite reports may be related to rabies, which officials say is almost always fatal if signs of rabies are present.
Berrien County Health Department officials say bats are most active in the summer as they search for places to hibernate for the winter.
With cooler temperatures on the way, officials are warning that bats may be seeking warmer indoor spaces, increasing the risk of rabies transmission.
They urge people to take steps to protect themselves and their families.
“It spreads through the nervous system. You’ll experience generalized symptoms like fever, weakness, pain. You may experience some strange sensations at the bite site, like tingling or numbness. Then symptoms start to progress, like seizures and hallucinations,” said Berrien County Health Department epidemiologist Sarah Palmer.
In Michigan, 12 cases of bat bites or scratches were reported in just two weeks in August, eight of which were sent for rabies testing. Bat bites often go unnoticed because of their small size.
Palmer stresses that there is no effective treatment for rabies once symptoms appear and stresses the importance of always reporting any bites.
If you are bitten, use sturdy gloves, a container, and a flat object to safely capture and examine the live bat: Wait for the bat to land, place the container over the bat, and slide the flat object underneath it.
Drill a small breathing hole and take the bat to your local health center to be examined.
Results are usually available within five days, and the health center will let you know if treatment is required.
“If the bat tests positive, we can administer rabies post-exposure prophylaxis, or a rabies vaccination, to boost the immune system and protect against viral infection,” Palmer said.
The rabies vaccine is given as four injections over a 14-day period and costs about $400 per injection, even with insurance coverage.
Health department officials say bats can get in through gaps as small as a quarter of an inch, and they recommend inspecting your home for gaps that bats could get through and sealing them to prevent them from getting in.
