State ferry crewmember bitten by bat

| West Seattle news | Wildlife

Unusual incident aboard the state ferry Issaquah on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth this morning. WSF spokesperson Ian Sterling confirmed, when we inquired after a tip, that a crewmember was bitten by a bat. He says the crewmember picked up what he though was debris on the car deck around 8:30 am – and it turned out to be a bat. The crewmember stayed in place until the ferry docked and animal control retrieved the bat, “apparently alive,” according to Sterling, and then went to a clinic for treatment.

Mj August 17, 2019 (1:21 pm)

Its good they got the bat so it can be tested for rabies. Hopefully a negative test result!

Me August 17, 2019 (2:00 pm)

Is there a full moon tonight?

WSB August 17, 2019 (4:38 pm)

Few nights ago. Bats live in Lincoln Park so … not far.

Rick August 17, 2019 (3:23 pm)

Aaahhh, batshAaahhh, batsh*t crazy. Love it.

Community Member August 17, 2019 (7:47 pm)

Standard protocol is to assume the bat is rabid and begin the vaccine series immediately.

melissa August 17, 2019 (7:52 pm)

There have been only two fatal cases of bat-to-human rabies in Washington State in the last 25 years according to the Department of Health, so it’s unlikely to be that, thank goodness.

Community Member August 18, 2019 (12:12 pm)

Melissa – fatal cases are rare because post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) prevents the disease. In 2018, 88 humans in King County were possibly exposed to rabies and received PEP. https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/communicable-diseases/health-care-providers/rabies-assessment/exposure.aspxVery few bats are rabid, but a bat found laying on the ground (or ferry deck) is quite ill/dying, so the chance of it carrying rabies is higher than the general bat population.
- melissa August 18, 2019 (2:21 pm)
  
  Thanks for the information, CM. I had no idea!

Jody August 17, 2019 (10:21 pm)

I was at Colman Pool this week and there was a small bat flying around the ladies locker room then it landed on the floor by the entrance and walked around in a daze. I alerted staff who placed it safely into a Tupperware container. Totally freaked me out having it swirling above me then blocking the walkway to get out.

Katherine August 17, 2019 (11:32 pm)

Rabies is no joke. Even if the likelihood of transmission is low, the consequence of foregoing treatment could be death. If you are bitten by a stray or feral animal (whether it be bat, dog, cat, raccoon, or really any other animal), first (and immediately) wash the wound with soap and hot water, but then quickly go to urgent care or the ER, and get the vaccine or, at the very least, get educated on your options. It is a crime that health care is so expensive in this country. But with Rabies, there is no wait and see. If the animal that bit you is infected and you don’t get the vaccine, by the time you show symptoms it’s almost always too late.

Nikkos August 18, 2019 (5:46 pm)

I had a bat exposure in Northern California years ago and the office of the CDC actually ordered my (reluctant) health care insurer to get me rabies shots. It’s unpleasant but nothing like the bad old days with the huge gauge needle shots to the stomach.

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