iStock/ThinkstockBy DR. JENNIFER ASHTON, ABC News Senior Medical Contributor
Summertime means late nights outside and often when bats are flying around. So what do you do if a bat flies past you and touches you?
In the United States, most people get rabies from bats, not from dogs. And more often than not, they can’t find a bite with their naked eye.
Rabies is a preventable virus that is spread through the bite of a rabid animal. It attacks the central nervous system causing initial symptoms of fever, headache and general weakness. If left untreated, the virus progresses, causing confusion, an increase in saliva, paralysis and death.
Since the rabies virus can be transmitted through a bite or through a rabid animal’s saliva, it’s smart to make your way to the nearest emergency room or to your local health department for advice about what to do next.
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