The Travel Doctor
Traveller's medical & vaccination centre
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Travel Doctor TMVC provides the latest health and travel alerts, including updates from the Department of Foreign Affairs.
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Rats and Bats and Rabies
Friday, 8 January, 2010
Three holidaymakers attacked and bitten by a sick “little red flying fox” in Queensland remind us that though Australia is free of rabies we are still vulnerable to infection with the rabies-related Lyssavirus; and the uncharacteristically aggressive red flying fox has proved to be affected by the virus. Fortunately the rabies vaccine is very effective in preventing development of the disease. Currently it is not thought that bats outside the Queensland area are infected but sick bats anywhere must be handled with caution to avoid bites. A bat that behaves uncharacteristically must also be suspected of carrying Lyssavirus.
The situation is very different and much more serious in Africa, Asia and South America. For instance on the same day as Australian press were reporting the Queensland incident there has been an account t of seven deaths in children bitten by bats in Peru. Any mammal, not just roaming dogs and picturesque monkeys, can carry the virus. Bats are increasingly recognised as transmitters and even rats have been implicated. Travellers must consult a travel health professional to discuss the question of being immunised against rabies before travel.
