Recently, in Wuhan, four female employees of a company were bitten by bats. Doctors state that any contact with bats should be treated at the highest level of rabies exposure. In recent times, there have been frequent incidents of bats disturbing people and biting them in various parts of China, sparking discussions among netizens.
According to the Chinese media outlet “Jiupai News” on October 9th, the incident occurred at the end of September in the Dongxihu District of Wuhan, Hubei Province. Four female employees of a company were scratched and bitten on their faces by a bat that flew into the office while they were taking a nap.
The injured employees were treated at the Jin-yin Tan Hospital in Wuhan, and doctors conducted treatment for rabies exposure at the highest level. They administered passive immunizing agents and rabies vaccines to the injured individuals.
Reportedly, in the past two months, the hospital has treated 13 patients who were bitten by bats.
This incident has triggered discussions among netizens: “This bat is probably already infected, biting straight into a rabid state.” “Why are bats appearing in broad daylight recently? There was a very small bat on the window of my house a few days ago during the day, and I don’t know where it came from.” “Why are there so many people getting bitten?” “I used to live in a place with bats when I was young, but they never attacked humans, they just hung upside down on the eaves at night.”
Dr. Sun Chen from the Animal Injury Treatment Center at Jin-yin Tan Hospital in Wuhan mentioned that many people have misconceptions, thinking that rabies is only a concern when bitten by cats or dogs. In fact, the risk and fatality of rabies exposure from bats are much higher than those from common cats and dogs. Bats are also designated as a high-risk natural host of rabies by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Dr. Sun explained that bat bites are difficult to detect as they often result in small puncture wounds that are hard to identify with the naked eye. Being painless and without bleeding is common, making it easy for the individuals to overlook them and miss the optimal treatment window, thus increasing the risk of rabies infection. Once rabies develop, the fatality rate is nearly 100%.
“Whenever there is direct contact, biting, or scratching by a bat, regardless of the size of the wound, bleeding, or apparent damage, it is directly classified as a Grade III rabies exposure, belonging to the highest risk level, and strict compliance with the full treatment protocol is required,” he said.
According to a report citing a lawyer, since the employees were injured during working hours in the office, it falls under the category of work-related injuries, and the four employees can apply for recognition as work-related injuries.
Recently, numerous incidents of bats causing disturbances and harming people have been reported in different parts of China.
In a report by “Hai Bao News” in August of this year, bats flying into the homes of residents in Beijing have caused anxiety. In Fengtai District, Beijing, from May 1st to August 18th this year, the Fengtai District fire and rescue squad handled 203 bat-related disturbance incidents, almost double compared to the same period last year with 102 cases.
On September 15th, “Guangming Net” reported that a woman named Zhao in Zhuji, Zhejiang, was hit in the face by a black object while she was walking in the evening. “I saw it very clearly, it was a bat.” After going to the hospital, the emergency doctor said, “Although there were no obvious wounds, according to the guidelines for handling dog bites, as long as there is direct contact with a bat, whether it bit or not, it will be treated at the highest level of exposure – Grade III.”
According to a report by the “Peninsula Morning News,” at the end of August, a bat flew into a residential building on the 18th floor of a building in Ganjingzi District, Dalian. A boy in the house, out of curiosity, tried to catch the bat flying around the room with his bare hands. When he tried to grab it in the corner, the bat bit his hand. The boy let go in pain, and the bat flew out through the window in the chaos.
Similar incidents have also been reported in Liaoning, Fujian, Jiangxi, and other regions.
Public data shows that bats are the primary natural hosts of various coronaviruses, including filamentous viruses, and highly lethal viruses such as the Ebola virus and Marburg virus. Henipaviruses, including the Nipah virus and Hendra virus, are mainly transmitted by fruit bats. The vast majority of natural hosts of Lyssaviruses, including rabies viruses globally, are bats. Hantaviruses have also been detected in bats in some parts of Africa and elsewhere.
Doctors advise that autumn is an active period for bats to enter homes, so citizens should ensure doors and windows are securely closed during rest and sleep. If accidentally coming into contact with a bat, it is crucial to continuously rinse the contact area with soapy water for over 15 minutes, thoroughly disinfect with iodine, and immediately seek medical attention at a legitimate healthcare facility.