A man has died from Australian bat lyssavirus. Here's what you should know
Keira Glasgow, a director in health protection at NSW Health, said on Wednesday that people should assume any bat in Australia could be carrying Australian bat lyssavirus. That includes flying foxes, other fruit bats and insect-eating microbats.
How can Australian bat lyssavirus be passed on to humans?
Like rabies, a bite or a scratch from an infected bat is how Australian bat lyssavirus is transmitted to humans. It can also be transmitted by other exposure through the eyes, nose or mouth to an infected animal's saliva. It's for this reason, Glasgow said, only trained and vaccinated wildlife workers should handle bats, and NSW Health advises in general to avoid handling any land-dwelling wild or domestic mammal in countries with a rabies virus risk.
NSW Health advises anyone who sees a bat distressed, injured or trapped on the ground to not try to rescue it. Instead, people should call WIRES' trained experts on 1300 094 737 or local wildlife groups.
What does lyssavirus do to humans, and what are the symptoms?
Australian bat lyssavirus affects the central nervous system, with early symptoms being described as flu-like, including headaches, fever and fatigue. Eventually, the illness progresses to paralysis, with convulsions and delirium. Death usually comes within a fortnight of symptoms presenting.
According to NSW Health, the previous three human cases of Australian bat lyssavirus had wide variability when it came to their incubation periods, as some took several days and others several years for symptoms to present.
How is it different from the Hendra bat virus?
Like rabies and Australian bat lyssavirus, there is no cure, medical treatment or human vaccine for Hendra virus, which is a rare disease that's passed from an infected horse to humans, with very few reported human cases in Australia. Since 2012, a vaccine for horses has been available.
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Hendra virus, believed to be transmitted from flying foxes to horses via contaminated bat urine, droppings or saliva, is not the same as equine flu, which is highly contagious among horses but does not infect humans.
It's also believed that Hendra virus is not transmitted to humans directly from flying foxes, only through human contact with an infected horse's bodily fluids. Human-to-human Hendra virus transmission has also not been reported.
Should Australians be worried about lyssavirus?
One fortunate aspect of Australian bat lyssavirus being so closely related to rabies is that rabies prevention measures can effectively protect humans from Australian bat lyssavirus when symptoms are detected early.
'It is incredibly rare for the virus to transmit to humans, but once symptoms of lyssavirus start in people who are scratched or bitten by an infected bat, sadly there is no effective treatment,' Glasgow said. 'If you are bitten or scratched by a bat, urgent medical assessment is crucial.'
NSW Health said that in 2024, 118 people required medical assessment after being bitten or scratched by bats. The man who died this week received treatment several months ago after being bitten by a bat. Glasgow said further investigation was under way 'to understand whether other exposures or factors played a role in his illness'.
Meanwhile, Dr Alison Peel, a veterinarian and wildlife disease ecologist at the University of Sydney, told this masthead that it's not the time to panic or 'persecute bats', as they are essential to our ecosystems.
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Perth Now
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A northern NSW man has died after being bitten by a bat, in the first confirmed case of Australian bat lyssavirus (ABLV) in NSW. The man, in his 50s, was bitten by a bat several months ago and had been in a critical condition in hospital, but on Thursday NSW Health confirmed he had died. 'We express our sincere condolences to the man's family and friends for their tragic loss,' NSW Health said in a statement. The case marks the fourth ever documented of ABLV, all have been fatal. What is Lyssavirus? 'ABLV is a virus that circulates naturally in Australian bats that is very closely related to rabies,' said veterinarian and wildlife disease expert Dr Alison Peel. 'To infect a human, the virus needs to pass from the bat's saliva into a wound in the skin. For example, that can happen if an infected bat scratches or bites you, or if their saliva comes into contact with an existing break in your skin. 'You cannot contract the virus just by being near flying foxes.' Once infected the victim will experience a latency period where they are asymptomatic and appear healthy, this period may stretch from weeks to possibly years until symptoms begin to appear. ABLV is present in flying fox populations as well as in microbat populations. Photo Jeremy Piper Credit: News Corp Australia 'Once symptomatic, ABLV infection has a 100 per cent fatality rate with no effective treatment available,' said molecular virologist professor Vinod Balasubramaniam. '(ABLV) infects peripheral nerves and progresses rapidly to the central nervous system, causing fatal acute encephalomyelitis (inflammation of the brain and spinal cord).' ABLV was first identified by the CSIRO in 1996, after a black flying fox exhibiting neurological symptoms was discovered near Ballina in northern New South Wales. Later that same year, a woman in Queensland who had recently begun working as a bat handler developed numbness and weakness in her arm, before falling into a coma and passing away. Two more fatalities occurred in 1998 and 2013, when a woman and an eight-year-old child died after being bitten or scratched by bats. Although the virus is found in Australian bats it exists in an extremely low percentage of the population. A transmission electron micrograph showing colorised bullet shaped Australian Bat lyssavirus particles. Supplied Credit: Supplied Exact numbers are difficult to determine due to its scarcity however Trish Paterson, who ran the Australian Bat Clinic and Wildlife Trauma Centre in Queensland, told the ABC less than 0.1 per cent of the Australian bat population was infected with the virus. 'The virus is present in the saliva of some Australian bats, but at very low prevalence,' said Dr Peel. 'The proportion of bats infected by the virus is normally very low – studies have looked for the virus in thousands of healthy bats and failed to find it. 'Like humans and other animals, infected bats may become sick and die, however, some bats may appear unaffected. So, you can't always tell just by looking at a bat whether it's infected or not.' What can you do to protect yourself? Experts stressed the best defence against ABLV was avoiding bats and particularly avoiding provoking them. 'This recent NSW case, the first in the state, highlights significant lessons for public health: individuals must avoid direct contact with bats,' said professor Balasubramaniam. 'Unvaccinated people should avoid handling bats in the wild, and if they encounter an injured bat they should contact their local wildlife rescue group, rather than trying to handle the animal themselves,' said director of equine infectious diseases at Melbourne University professor James Gilkerson. Experts are warning the public not to interact with bats. Dean Martin Credit: News Corp Australia 'Veterinarians and wildlife carers are two groups at higher risk, and it is recommended that those people are vaccinated against rabies to protect them against ABLV infection.' Professor Balasubramaniam advised those bitten or scratched to 'seek immediate medical intervention, including thorough wound cleaning and prompt administration of rabies immunoglobulin and vaccines following any potential exposure'. 'Public health authorities must adopt a robust approach such as intensifying targeted education for high-risk groups like veterinarians and wildlife handlers, enhancing surveillance of bat populations, and investing in research for advanced vaccines and antiviral therapies. 'The (recent) incident highlights the critical need to respect ecological boundaries, promote community awareness, and ensure swift, evidence-based medical and public health responses.' Professor Balasubramaniam also noted that all four Australian cases have been fatal despite receiving standard rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
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Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Australia has recorded its fourth death of the bat lyssavirus — a very rare and fatal virus that can lay dormant for years. It is the fourth case in Australia and the first in New South Wales. Here's everything we know about the virus. A man from northern New South Wales had died several months after being hospitalised with a bite. (Getty) Australian bat lyssavirus (ABLV) is a very rare virus that circulates in bats and is closely related to rabies. It can spread to humans if they are bitten or scratched, or if bat saliva comes in contact with the eyes, nose, mouth or any broken skin. "To infect a human, the virus needs to pass from the bat's saliva into a wound in the skin," University of Sydney's wildlife disease ecologist Dr Alison Peel said. There is no risk if you live or walk near a bat roosting area. ABLV was first identified in 1996 and there has only been four cases since; three in Queensland and one in New South Wales. It has not been found in bats outside of Australia but overseas bats can carry other forms of lyssaviruses, including rabies. Any bat in Australia, including flying foxes, fruit bats and insect-eating microbats, can potentially carry ABLV. But, according to Peel, the number of bats infected by the virus is typically very low. "Studies have looked for the virus in thousands of healthy bats and failed to find it," she said. Any bat in Australia can potentially carry ABLV. (Getty) It is hard to tell whether a bat is carrying the virus, as they do not appear or behave any differently than an uninfected bat. "Like humans and other animals, infected bats may become sick and die, however, some bats may appear unaffected," Peel said. "So, you can't always tell just by looking at a bat whether it's infected or not." Symptoms are similar to those caused by rabies and can start off like the flu. This may include a headache, fever and fatigue. The illness can rapidly progress to paralysis, delirium, seizures and death typically within one to two weeks. It is also hard to tell when you contracted the virus as symptoms can start anytime from a few days to several years after infection. Only trained, protected and vaccinated wildlife handlers should be interacting with bats. (Getty Images/iStockphoto) ABLV can be fatal if it is not treated immediately. Health Direct advises anyone who is scratched or bitten by a bat to wash the wound with soap and water for at least 15 minutes, apply an antiseptic with an anti-virus action and get medical help as soon as possible. ABLV does not have its own vaccine but can be treated with a combination of rabies immunoglobulin and rabies vaccinations. There is no treatment for the virus once symptoms have started. "It is incredibly rare for the virus to transmit to humans, but once symptoms of lyssavirus start in people who are scratched or bitten by an infected bat, sadly there is no effective treatment," NSW Health Director in Health Protection Keira Glasgow said. The simple answer is to avoid touching any bats. Only trained, protected and vaccinated wildlife handlers should be interacting with bats. health New South Wales queensland national Australia wildlife Disease CONTACT US Property News: Sixteen-person rental sparks outrage in US.
