SO WHAT IS ‘ABLV’?
Australian Bat Lyssavirus (ABLV)
What is it?
ABLV is a virus related to rabies (also known as ‘mad dog’ disease or hydrophobia). The symptoms and course of ABLV infection are virtually identical to rabies.
When was it discovered?
It was first discovered in Australia in 1996 with two separate strains. One carried by megachiropterans and the other by microchiropterans.
There have only been three deaths in Australia recorded as a result of infection by ABLV.
One death was the result of being bitten by an infected Black flying-fox while another death was from a Yellow-bellied sheath-tailed microbat.
How does it work?
The virus lives in the salivary glands of an infected animal. It enters the human body via broken skin (cuts, scratches and bites) or mucous membranes (eyes, mouth, nose etc).
It then makes its way through tissue to nerve endings in muscle. From there it spreads up the nerve to the brain where it multiplies rapidly.
The virus then exits via the nerves to other tissue especially salivary glands. There it multiplies dramatically, ready to spread to the next host by biting.
Once the virus enters the nerves, it is shielded from the body’s defence mechanism of antibodies and scavenger blood cells.
The incubation period before symptoms begin to show can be anything between four days to 19 years!
In fact, the second person who died from Lyssavirus was bitten two years beforehand. The virus had remained dormant all that time. And had they received the anti-rabies vaccine at the time of being bitten, their death could have been prevented.
Due to the very nature of our work at Bat Rescue Inc., bat carers and handlers are more likely to encounter infected bats.
For this reason anti-Lyssavirus vaccinations are an ESSENTIAL pre-requisite prior to handling bats.
Protection and Prevention
The first thing is NOT TOUCH A BAT unless you are a vaccinated bat handler.
REMEMBER: “No touch, No harm!”
What do you do if bitten or scratched by a bat?
- First, wash the site thoroughly for five minutes with soap and water.
- Then apply an iodine-based lotion to the site.
- Notify your local public health unit or your doctor AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. You may need to receive the post-exposure vaccine. The vaccine will prevent progression of the disease IF the animal was infected with ABLV.
Unfortunately for the animal, testing of the brain tissue is the only method to establish whether the bat has Lyssavirus.
This requires the animal to be captured, surrendered and euthanised. A very sad outcome… especially if the bat was not infected at all.
For further information about Australian Bat Lyssavirus or ABLV, go to the Queensland Government of Environment and Science (updated 18 Sept. 2020).