Bats not as likely to carry rabies as we thought…
A new study done at the University of Calgary has determined that bats are not as likely to carry rabies as we once thought.
It was previously thought that 10% of bats taken in for rabies testing would test positive. However, the new study reveals that this number is less than 1%.
Bats can spread the virus to other bats quite easily. The result is that at any time in a population of bats, several bats can be carrying rabies.
Dr. Robert Barclay, co-author of the study states that ““This study is significant because it confirms that rabies rates for bats has been over-estimated. It’s also the first time such a rigorous literature review has been completed on this topic.”
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When I read this news story my first thought was that I had absolutely no idea that up to 10% of the bat population could carry rabies. Even though this number is now thought to be lower than 1%, I am not terribly comforted! If one out of 100 of the bats out there is carrying rabies, then I still don’t want to be anywhere near a bat.