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The Health Risks of Bats in your Home
Anyone who has unwanted bats living or roosting in their home building is
likely very familiar with the unpleasant experience of encoutering the unwanted guests and/or the
associated noise
and odour
problems that may accompany a bat infestation.
What many people may not be aware of is that there are also significant potential
health risks associated with human exposrue to bats that may result from sharing dwelling or work places
with them. The two primary diseases of concern are Bat Rabies and
Histoplasmosis, which is caused by a
fungus, Histoplasma capsulatum.
Although not known to present a health risk, bat infestation may also lead to Bat Bug infestion in buildings.
The following provide brief description of each of these issues:
Bat Rabies
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Most of us associate rabies with the mad dog frothing at
the mouth, eager to bite anything near it. In Canada, however, rabies usually appear in wild animals, especially
bats, foxes and skunks are most commonly identified rabid animals. It's important to know how to protect yourself and your
pet from this deadly disease. As with all wildlife, them ost effective method of avoiding exposure is through
avoidance which, in the case of bats, is accomplished dthrough
removal of the bats by trained professionals along with proper bat proofing. |
Big brown bats are relatively ferocious when
captured. They usually squeal when handled and produce a rapid ratchet-like
sound; they continually try to bite and usually draw blood when they
succeed in doing so. |
Histoplasmosis
A certain percentage
of bat populations are infected with a virus called
capsulatum histoplasme and can consequently excrete the organism in their droppings.
As a result of this, accumulations of bat guano, especially in
interior spaces, may pose significant health risks to individuals exposed
to airborne particles. Anyone exposed to material contaminated with H.
capsulatum (such bat droppings or material contaminated by bat
droppings) which becomes airborne can develop histoplasmosis. Histoplasmosis is
an infectious disease caused by inhaling the spores of the Histoplasma capsulatum
fungus. The symptoms of histoplasmosis vary in severity from flu-like symptoms, to
chronic lung disease, to blindness and even death in rare cases ("Histoplasmosis,
Protecting Workers at Risk", DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 97-146,
September 1997). Infants, young children, and older persons, in particular those with chronic lung
disease, are at increased risk for developing symptomatic Histoplasmosis.
As a result of such concerns, the American "National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health" (NIOSH) recommends that: "when a
colony of bats or a flock of birds is discovered roosting in a building,
immediate action should be taken to exclude the intruders by sealing all
entry points" in order to prevent the on-going accumulations of guano. In
addition it is recommended that the existing accumulations
should be removed, especially in areas where there may be exposure to
humans. The removal of all material that might be contaminated by
H. capsulatum from a building and
immediate waste disposal will eliminate any further risk that someone
might be exposed to aerosolised spores.
Based on these considerations, it is recommended that accumulations of bat guano
in buildings be removed following full health and safety procedures
described in our Services page. |
Bat Bug
Bat
bugs may be found in houses and buildings that are infested with bats. The bat
bug is a very close relative to the nearly-extinct bed bug. The two species look
so much alike that microscopic examination is needed to confidently tell them
apart.
Bat bugs feed on blood
from bats, but when they wander away from the bat roost area, they will feed on
other warm-blooded animals, including people. This feeding is an annoyance but
is not dangerous. As far as we know, bat bugs do not transmit any diseases.
Controlling bat bugs
requires the elimination of any bats that are present in the home or building.
This is accomplished by exclusion techniques also known as "building them
out" (i.e., sealing entrance cracks and holes). There are no pesticides to
control bats in attics. In addition to eliminating the bats you may need to control the
bugs themselves. This can be done by applying residual insecticides such as
those commonly sold for cockroaches to cracks, crevices, or other bat bug hiding
places. Spraying without eliminating the bats will probably provide short-term,
temporary benefit but is not likely to completely control the problem.
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We get'em out and we keep'em out!!