Bats are animals capable of carrying an enormous amount of viruses, bacteria and parasites and transmitting them to people, at the same time that the disease develops in your body. Although most bats are capable of transmitting disease, not all of them bite people and transmit the microorganism, only bats that feed on blood or those that feed on fruits and that feel threatened, for example.
Although one of the strategies to avoid diseases caused by bats is the elimination of this animal, this measure is not recommended, because the bat plays a fundamental ecological role, being important for dispersing seeds and transporting pollen, for example.
Although it can be a reservoir and vector of several infectious diseases, the main diseases caused by bats are:
1. Anger
Rabies is the main disease transmitted by bats, and it happens when the bat infected by the virus of the family Rhabdoviridae , bites the person, causing the virus present in its saliva, to enter the person's body, being able to spread quickly through the bloodstream and reach the nervous system, causing encephalopathy, for example.
The time between infection and the onset of symptoms can vary from person to person according to your immune system, and may take 30 to 50 days to appear.
Main symptoms: Initially the symptoms of human rabies are mild and can be confused with other infections since there is a feeling of malaise and fever, for example. However, symptoms can progress quickly, with mental depression, paralysis of the lower limbs, excessive agitation and increased production of saliva due to spasms of the throat muscles, which can be quite painful. Know other symptoms of human rabies.
What to do: If the person has been bitten by a bat, it is important to go immediately to the nearest emergency room so that the wound is sanitized and the need for a rabies vaccine is assessed. In case of confirmation of the disease, the treatment is done in the hospital with the use of medications such as Amantadine and Biopterina in order to promote the elimination of the virus from the body.
Normally during hospitalization, the person is kept sedated, breathes through devices and has their vital and metabolic functions monitored through routine examinations. Discharge from the hospital only happens when the total elimination of the virus is proven.
2. Histoplasmosis
Histoplasmosis is an infectious disease caused by the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum , which is found in the soil but whose growth is favored in bat feces, for example. Thus, when the bat defecates, the fungus can grow there and be spread through the air, which can infect people when inhaled.
Main symptoms: The symptoms of histoplasmosis can appear between 3 and 17 days after contact with the fungus and vary according to the amount of fungus inhaled, the greater the amount, the greater the severity of the symptoms. In addition, the person's immune system also influences the severity of symptoms, usually people with diseases that lead to a weakened immune system, such as AIDS, for example, develop more severe forms of histoplasmosis.
The main symptoms of histoplasmosis are fever, chills, headache, difficulty breathing, dry cough and chest pain, for example.
What to do: In case of Histoplasma capsulatum infection, it is usually recommended by the doctor to use antifungal drugs, such as Itraconazole or Amphotericin, for example, and the treatment time must be established by the doctor according to the severity of the disease.
How to avoid bat-borne diseases
To avoid bat-borne diseases, it is recommended to adopt some simple measures, such as:
- Illuminate the external areas of the house, making it possible to visualize the bats and also making them move away from the place; Place screens or plastic nets on the windows; Close holes or passages through which the bats can enter; Close the windows, especially at night.
In case the presence of bat feces is verified, it is recommended that cleaning is done using gloves, masks and goggles, as this way it is possible to avoid inhaling the fungi present in bat feces, for example. In addition, if there has been contact with the bat, it is important to get the rabies vaccine to prevent the disease from occurring. Understand how the rabies vaccine works and what the side effects are.
