Australian bat lyssavirus and rabies

Australian bat lyssavirus (ABLV) and rabies belong to a group of viruses called lyssavirus.

They all cause a similar illness in animals and humans known as rabies. In humans, rabies will usually cause death if not treated quickly.

In Australia, there have been 3 human cases of ABLV and all cases have died.

There are no other types of rabies in Australia other than Australian bat lyssavirus.

How it's spread

The virus that causes ABLV and rabies is spread to humans by an infected animal through their:

• bite
• scratch
• saliva that enters a person'e eyes, nose, mouth or broken skin.

Only mammals can be infected.

In Australia, ABLV has been found in flying foxes/fruit bats and insect-eating micro bats.

ABLV is not spread through:

• eating flying foxes that have been thoroughly cooked
• contact with bat faeces, urine or blood
• patting a bat.

In countries where rabies is endemic, rabies is spread mostly by dogs. Other animals that can spread rabies include monkeys, foxes, cats, raccoons, skunks, jackals and mongoose.

Who is at risk

In Australia, people who handle bats as part of their job or volunteering are most at risk of ABLV.

This includes:

• vets
• wildlife officers and bat handlers
• members of volunteer wildlife care groups.

People who come into contact with wild or domestic animals in countries where rabies is present are also at risk.

Prevention

To help prevent ABLV and rabies, you should:

• avoid handling bats
• avoid rescuing sick or injured bats - find out how to report injured wildlife
• avoid contact with wild or domestic animals when travelling to countries  where rabies is present.

If you regularly handle bats or travel to countries where rabies is present, you can get a rabies vaccine.

Treatment

If you're scratched or bitten by an animal that may have rabies,  you should:

• immediately wash the wound with soap and water for at least 5 minutes
• for  bat saliva in the eyes, mouth or nose, flush the area with water for several minutes
• apply an antiseptic solution after washing if available (e.g. povidone-iodine)
• get medical attention immediately for rabies treatment, even if you're already vaccinated
• get a tetanus injection if necessary.

Information for health professionals

To find out more go to the NT Health website.

Contact

For more information, contact the Centre for Disease Control on the NT Health website.