Dr. Krista Edelman, from Richmond, Virginia, woke up to find a bat in her mouth. She initially thought the animal was a field mouse from a dream before feeling its short, coarse hair and realizing it was a bat.
Edelman said she started "screaming repeatedly" when her dream of a "field mouse burrowing into her mouth" became a reality. She told local media: "I screamed something to the extent of like, 'There's a bat in my mouth. The bat is trying to get in my mouth.'"
Bat capture and medical advice
It is unclear how the bat entered Edelman's house or mouth. After removing the animal, her next concern was whether she had scabies. Edelman said she was advised to capture the bat rather than kill it so it could be tested for rabies. She used a bucket from a recent beach holiday to trap the creature and contacted a friend who is an infectious disease doctor.
Her friend strongly recommended she seek medical attention immediately, leading Edelman to visit the emergency department at St. Mary's Hospital, where she is employed.
Rabies exposure warning
Dr. Adam Landsee, the hospital's assistant medical director for emergency services, warned that anyone waking up in a room with a bat should assume they may have been exposed to rabies, as bat teeth are tiny and bites can often go unnoticed. "If you wake up in a room with a bat in your room or in your kid's room or in your house, you kind of have to assume the worst," Landsee cautioned during an interview with WTVR.
Dr. Julia Murphy, the Virginia Department of Health's state public health veterinarian, said submissions of bats for rabies testing have increased this year, although the number of bats testing positive has remained stable. Murphy suggested trapping the bat if possible and contacting a local health department for advice. She told WTVR that testing usually takes around 48 hours, and if the bat tests negative, vaccination may not be necessary.
Edelman later found out the bat did not have rabies.
