Two Cautionary Tales Show Risk of Rabid Bats

Two incidents, one in the US and the other in Canada, illustrate the risks of rabid bats:

• Wisconsin: A 6-year-old girl is recovering after being bitten by a rabid bat in her backyard in Tigerton. Cecilia Kale was climbing a tree outside her home in Tigerton last week when a bat latched onto her thigh and bit her, reports NBC News. Her brothers, ages 11 and 16, came to her rescue: One knocked the bat off with a pole, and the other killed it with a homemade sword he'd fashioned the same day, inspired by the film Braveheart. The girl received rabies shots after the creature tested positive. Rabies is 100% fatal if not treated.

• Ontario: Doctors in the Canadian province say an 11-year-old boy woke up in bed after a bat landed on his face, and he shooed it away, seemingly without getting bit or scratched, reports the National Post. No puncture or scratch marks could be seen. Two weeks later, however, the boy developed symptoms of rabies and subsequently died. "Any direct human contact with a bat, even in the absence of a visible bite or scratch, is an indication for PEP and should be discussed with public health authorities," the doctors write in a report. PEP refers to post-exposure prophylaxis, a combo of antibodies and a vaccine.