Lyssavirus is rare, but deadly: What should you do if a bat bites you?

Okay, so here’s the deal—you’re probably here because you want straight answers. No fluff, no textbook jargon. Just the truth about bat bite lyssavirus, even if it’s a heavy topic.

Last week, a man in his 50s died in New South Wales after a bat bite several months ago. This is the first confirmed human case in NSW since the virus was discovered in 1996. Four people in total have died from ABLV in Australia. Yep, that’s it—four strangers who thought a bat scratch was no big deal. Three in Queensland. One in NSW. All of them? Gone.

You might be wondering: “Can this hit me? Should I panic if I see a bat?” Hold up. Let’s keep calm and break this down. (But yes, there’s a reason we write about this.)

What is it?

Lyssavirus sounds scary, but here’s the easiest way to think about it: it’s rabies’s cousin, but made in Australia. ABLV—which stands for Australian Bat Lyssavirus—lurks in our local flying foxes, fruit bats, and even small microbats that might roost in your garden shed.

Wait. Rabies?! But isn’t that for dogs? Nope. Australia’s actually rabies-free, but ABLV mimics rabies so well that the bat bite symptoms and what follows are almost identical to what people imagine when they hear “rabies.” According to Dr. Vinod Balasubramaniam via The Conversation —a virologist who’s done research on ABLV—rabies and ABLV belong to the same Rhabdoviridae virus family. Same family, different branches. Same deadly result if you don’t act fast—just via a local route.

The wild thing? Bats themselves aren’t always visibly sick. Yes, some start shaking or acting aggressive, but others look like… they’re just chilling. How’s that possible? (We’ll hit that next!) ABC News confirms this in their review: many infected bats show zero obvious signs until they’re too far gone. Creepy? Yeah. But real.

How does it spread?

Can ABLV sneak in without a bite?

Short answer: no. Cases of Australian bat bite lyssavirus only take root if a human makes direct contact—like a bite, scratch, or if bat saliva sneaks into your eyes, mouth, or open skin. So the rumors about bat droppings? Trash. CBS News, a trusted media source, clarifies this in their coverage of the recent NSW case: urine, feces, or even just being near a bat—those are safe.

Where the virus hides the most

So where exactly are you at risk? Let’s break it down like you’re text messaging a friend over COFFEE.

• If a bat is dead, but touching it might still expose you—especially if its saliva intact.

• If a bat is sick or injured, the virus concentration jumps. Bats that don’t fly. Bats that crawl around. Bats you find lying still underneath trees? Those aren’t “rescue material.” They’re a biohazard. (More on that soon.)

• What if a bat flies at your hair? (Let’s say you’re outside and it brushes against you)? As long as there are no open wounds, your eyes/mouth/nose didn’t not touch it, you’re cool.

Spotting symptoms

Symptoms tricks

Crank up your lyssavirus alert: if you start feeling off weeks, months, or even years after a bat incident, it’s possible—but aren’t. Here’s where the virus slaps you with its tricks:

• Phase 1: “Is it just a cold?” – Flu signs: fever, fatigue, mild headache. Easy mistake if it comes on slow.

• Phase 2: “Wait, my muscles are twitching. Is that normal?” – Next comes brain stuff. Delirium. Uncontrolled spasms. Paralysis that hits outta nowhere.

• Phase 3: The race to survival – If you spot these fast, the bat bite treatment works. But delay too long? Fatal within 1-2 weeks.

(P.S. This is why bat bite prevention isn’t paranoia. Just smart.)

Dormant virus? How long you’re in danger

Here’s something most people: ABLV can take its sweet time making you feel sick. Let’s say three days. Let’s say six months. Some cases in Australia went up to two years. Dang. That’s why if a bat scratch ever happens—even if you feel fine—you can’t just sit on it. Science says this is time-sensitive.

The standard window is: treat within seven days. Best-case scenario: go within 48 hours and give your body the head start it needs. Trish Paterson, who’s cared for bats for decades, says even healthy bats can carry ABLV. Bottom line: any bat contact, vaccinated or not, still shouts, “Get it checked.”

Post bite protocol

Brush-off or break into panic?

Honestly? Do none of the two. Instead, do what the Australian health department puts you on a list for:

Step 1: Start washing like it’s stain removal. Soap, water, and rub for 15 minutes. Medics aren’t kidding. This isn’t a quick rinse—this is basic life insurance.

Step 2: Apply an antiseptic, like Betadine to kill what water might’ve missed.

Step 3: Sprinkle this mess to a wound clinic or NSW Health or similar stat, not a website special to NSW, but a national program too); ask for rabies immunoglobulin + rabies vaccine. (Huge surprise: No specific ABLV vaccine. But rabies vaccines work as shields. We’ll cover that later!)

“I just touched a grounded bat — should I slow down a beat?”

Yes. Gently push pause. If the bat isn’t moving and you had skin contact——even through a shirt—reach out to local wildlife. Don’t try to pickle your hands. Call WIRES at 1300 094 737 and wait. (New South Wales Health literally said this in a public statement. 9 News; that way people focus on action, not self-sabotage.)

Prevent future infections

Educating matters

So here’s a twist almost no one expects: most lyssavirus experts agree education is better than fear. Like, bat rescuers get completely vaccinated and educated about pre-exposure lyssavirus precautions, so they can care safely. Meanwhile? The public just needs common sense.

Dr. Alison Peel, wildlife disease ecologist from the University of Sydney said it best in Australia’s 9 News write-up:

“Only trained, protected, and vaccinated professionals should ever interact with bats directly.”

Yes, bats are cool. Yes, they pollinate figs, mangos, and other tree treats. But hey—they can also pass you a one-way trip toward neurological chaos. So unless you’ve done three rabies vaccines in a month, hands OFF. (We’ll dive into why bat conservation is separate from your safety later!)

Rabies isn’t the same – but works as a shield

Rabies Virus	Australian Bat Lyssavirus (ABLV)
Endemic in many parts of the world. Common in dog bites.	Limited to Australia. Not a global problem.
Vaccines + post-exposure treatment started in 1800s. Tried and tested.	Rabies vaccines used as tools. No specific ABLV vaccine exists yet.
If untreated — almost always fatal. But >100,000 cases reported annually, with prevention saving thousands.	Four recorded deaths in Australia. Prevention is key because the ABLV mortality rate is 100% in humans.

So? The answer’s simple: people who go out of their way to prevent bat lyssavirus infections don’t accidentally become case files. (This isn’t Boston. This is Australia, and we’ve got our own dangerous animals.)

Australian horror stories

Four lives lost

If you’re indifferent so far, let me hit “pause.” Because the stories below didn’t just live in the lab.

• 1996: A woman in Queensland started bat rehabilitation in 1996. After being scratched, numbness started in her arm. Then seizures. Then coma. Then, gone. This was ABLV’s Australian debut—

• 1998: A 33-year-old woman wasn’t vaccinated. Bat bite. Delayed treatment. That was that.

• 2013: An 8-year-old boy in Queensland slow-played a bat encounter. He initially thought it was some random bat tangle. He died 10 days after symptoms hit.

• 2025: The NSW man followed the protocol. Or at least, we think he did. Washed the bite. Got medical help. But still—Fatal. Experts are pulling hair right now, trying to piece what missed. ABC News exclusively followed this case, and if you ask the researchers: This incidence is making health protocol writers sweat.

Global impact

Do other bats carry lyssavirus?

Absolutely, but not ABLV. Like in Europe, variations like European Bat Lyssavirus pop up every few years. But these aren’t exclusive to Australia.

Back in 2024: North America saw three bat-related rabies fatalities. Like the Minneapolis metro caseCBS News; a man who didn’t check a bat bite. Sound familiar? Because all rabies-related lyssaviruses worldwide take that same dangerous shape. The way they start. The way they progress. The way>they”re nearly impossible to diagonal unless we field it quickly.

Bat protection

Here’s why we can’t hate on bats

Bats love us. They pollinate crops. They eat bugs. If we annihilated them we’d have one big mosquito-gate of chaos. But, and this is huge—it’s a different thing when lyssavirus protection is public health-related, not about wildlife storytelling.

Trish Paterson once put it this way:

“They’re family in their own ecosystems. But for us? There’s a fence. Keep out, unless you’ve trained for it.”

And fair. A vaccinated rescuer = 100% safer than a random mute bat scooping from the sidewalk.

How to balance with loved ones

Wave goodbye to bats: For general public	Case by case: For wildlife folks
Never handle. Period. If inverted, isolated, seems off—you call someone who’s trained.	Three rabies shots in a month. If you care for bats for a living, vaccines are safety wraps.
Raise alarms if a bat’s in your area. But again, don’t intervene.	Follow PPE rigor. Yes, it’s hot under those suits, but immune systems thank you.

Taking the_reins

What do you do now—after reading

So… you’ve gotten this far. Hell. Maybe you stumbled this article after seeing a grounded bat, or you’re writing for someone who did contact one. Let me know your thought process—shutdown fear, but be real: Let’s not blow our hands off with overcaution. But also: Do not assume a bat bite is stress, or safari-adventure-grade harmless.

Active plan in real-life

If you ever—

1. …get bitten
2. …bat saliva dabs your eye
3. …you scratch or accidentally touch a live bat that seems weird

• Rinse that area—15 minutes of solid scrub
• Antiseptic it—Betadine or similar
• Dial NSW Health or your local service, and get on those vaccine shots.

Even if you skipped ahead to ABLV symptoms, detergents and red flags are better than rushing Darwin Awards. (We’re kind of halfway there if you delay.)

Bottom line

This is all real. But what’s wild? Since 1996, less than 0.0001% of Australia’s bat populations are infected. Still, the four fatalities could’ve—and should’ve—been prevented, according to the latest analyses.

So: wear gloves around wildlife. Don’t touch buffer wildlife. Lunsh into hand hygiene as if self-care extends to stranger viruses. And trust your guts—a rabid bat bite isn’t Mexican jumping bean–encounter-level casual.

If you’re wondering: “Can ABLV even really hit me?” Let’s come to a fair confrontation together. No. It doesn’t play in NYC. Or Nairobi. Or New Brew. But yes, if you’re Australian (or on a tropical bat-venture), it’s real but rare. But hey. Ask any virologist. If your chances went down to 1%, would you book a plane ride or touch an animal that could kill you in two weeks?