Extremely rare virus that causes RABIES found in bat in UK garden after mum died from disease caught petting dog abroad

The Sun

4 days ago

THE virus that causes rabies has been found in a bat in a back garden in Britain.
The rodent was found in Shorwell on the Isle of Wight and tested tested positive for European Bat Lyssavirus-1 (EBLV-1), an extremely rare virus known to cause the deadly disease in humans.
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It comes just days after a grandmother tragically died from rabies following a scratch from a stray puppy while on holiday in Morocco.
Meanwhile, the resident who discovered the injured bat used gloves to place it in a shoe box and kept it safely overnight before calling the Isle of Wight Bat Hospital.
The animal was collected by volunteers the following day, and Government officials later confirmed it had tested positive for EBLV-1.
The Department for Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the bat was humanely put down to prevent any risk of transmission.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) investigated the incident but found no evidence of bites or scratches to humans or other animals.
Although EBLV-1 can cause rabies, it is different from the rabies virus most commonly associated with dogs, which causes the majority of cases worldwide.
Both EBLV-1 and a similar strain, EBLV-2, are extremely rare and have only been found in a small number of bats in the UK.
Experts say the discovery does not change the UK's rabies-free health status, and other mammals are not considered to be at risk.
It comes after Yvonne Ford, 59, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, died after unknowingly contracting rabies while abroad earlier this month.
She was scratched by a puppy during a trip to Morocco in February but did not believe it was serious at the time.
Video of mum dancing on holiday before she died
Two weeks before her death, she fell ill with a headache which quickly progressed.
Her daughter, Robyn Thomson, revealed that Yvonne lost her ability to walk, talk, sleep, and swallow before she died.
Speaking out to raise awareness, Robyn said: 'Our family is still processing this unimaginable loss, but we are choosing to speak up in the hope of preventing this from happening to others.'
She added: 'She was scratched very slightly by a puppy in Morocco in February.
"At the time, she did not think any harm would come of it and didn't think much of it.'
The Bat Conservation Trust explained that the two known strains of lyssavirus found in British bats have only been recorded in 59 of more than 19,000 bats tested since 1986.
Only two species—the serotine and Daubenton's bat—have tested positive.
EBLV-1 has been detected in serotine bats since 2018, with the first case confirmed in Dorset.
Rabies is passed through bites and scratches, or if infected saliva enters a person's eyes, nose, mouth, or an open wound.
Symptoms may take weeks or months to appear, but once they do, the disease is almost always fatal.
Signs include confusion, hallucinations, paralysis, difficulty swallowing, breathing problems, and numbness around the affected area.
Alex Morss, from the Bat Conservation Trust, urged anyone who has been licked, scratched, or bitten by a bat to call the National Bat Helpline on 0345 1300 228 and seek immediate medical advice.
He said: 'There is no risk to human health if you do not handle British bats, even if they are roosting in buildings you use.
"No action should be taken to disturb or harm any wild bats or their roosts.'
Bats in the UK are protected by law and should only be handled by trained and licensed individuals.
If a bat is injured or in need of rescue, gloves and a face covering should always be worn.
The NHS offers a rabies vaccine, which is 100 per cent effective if given promptly after exposure.
In some cases, a treatment called immunoglobulin may be administered directly into the wound.
Dr Katherine Russell from the UK Health Security Agency said: 'If you are bitten, scratched or licked by an animal in a country where rabies is found, wash the wound with soap and water immediately and seek medical help without delay.'
She added: 'There is no risk to the wider public in relation to this case.
"Human cases of rabies are extremely rare in the UK, and worldwide there are no documented instances of direct human-to-human transmission.'
Yvonne's family have since shared tributes and videos of her dancing with her grandchildren just weeks before her sudden decline.
They hope her story will raise awareness and remind holidaymakers to take animal bites or scratches seriously, especially in countries where rabies is a known threat.
What rabies does to the body and how it's treated
The infection is common worldwide but is predominantly found in Asia, Africa, and Central and South America.
Some of the animals that are most likely to spread the disease are dogs, bats, foxes, skunks and raccoons.
Symptoms
After a bite or other rabies exposure, the virus can take weeks or months to start causing symptoms.
This timeframe is what doctors call the incubation period in which the virus is travelling through the body and to the brain.
Some of the most common symptoms of rabies include:
Fever
Headache
Excess salivation
Muscle spasms
paralysis
mental confusion
The World Health Organization describes two main manifestations of the disease: furious rabies and paralytic rabies.
People or animals with furious rabies may appear agitated, become aggressive, and drool excessively, while other symptoms include hyperactivity, fear of water, and even fear of fresh air.
The symptoms of paralytic rabies, on the other hand, are more understated—typically causing gradual paralysis as a patient remains calm and lucid.
Treatment
If you've been bitten or scratched by an animal in an area with a risk of rabies you should immediately clean the wound with running water and soap for several minutes.
After this, you must disinfect the wound with an alcohol- or iodine-based disinfectant and apply a simple dressing.
After the wound is addressed, you should see a doctor as soon as possible and they will determine if you need a rabies vaccination or not.
Post-exposure treatment is nearly 100 per cent effective if it's started before any symptoms of rabies appear.
Some cases will require immunoglobulin, which is administered into and around the wound.
This provides short-term protection if there is a significant chance of infection in the wound.
Treatment should ideally begin within a few hours of being bitten, but can be delayed up to 24 hours if needed
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