If someone definitely came into contact with a bat
If a bat touched someone's skin, bit them, or scratched:
- Clean the wound thoroughly with soap and running water.
- Attempt to capture the bat. Do your best to avoid further bites/direct contact with the bat.
- See your healthcare provider for next steps (wound evaluation, discuss need for rabies post-exposure vaccine series).
- If you are able to capture the bat, call your local health department. They can provide consultation and assist with getting the bat tested for rabies. The rabies test result for the bat will guide next steps.
- The post-exposure vaccine series may not be needed if the bat tests negative for rabies.
- If the bat tests positive then a rabies post-exposure vaccine series should be completed.
- If the bat is not captured or tested, then it is assumed the bat had rabies and a post-exposure vaccine series should be completed.
- Rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) includes wound care, human rabies immune globulin (HRIG), and a four-dose vaccine series. This post exposure rabies vaccine series is almost always begun at a hospital emergency room.
If someone may have come into contact with a bat
Sometimes it's hard to know if a bat touched someone. This can happen if the bat was found in a room with:
- A sleeping person
- A young child
- Someone with dementia
- An adult who cannot take care of themselves
- Anyone who may not be able to say for sure whether contact happened
In these cases, treat it the same as if contact happened. Safely trap the bat and call your local health department for advice on next steps.
More resources
- What do I do if I find a bat in my house?
- Find more tips and information about bats in Connecticut.
- Find more information about rabies.