HEALTH
Bat-grabbing fan may need rabies vaccination
Published: July 31, 2009, 12:30 am
Story tools:
Share this story:
It wasn’t bat day at Coca- Cola Field during Tuesday’s game between the Buffalo Bisons and Pawtucket Red Sox.
But a fan in Section 116 snared his own bat — the live kind, with wings flapping.
Now officials of the Erie County Health Department want to identify that person so they can determine if he needs to be treated with a post-exposure vaccine for rabies.
The bat was apparently with others of its kind when it swooped into the stadium. The fan reached out and grabbed the flying mammal, but only for a short time before letting it go, said Kevin Montgomery, Health Department spokesman.
Nearby fans who happen to be Health Department employees notified officials, he said.
“The New York State Department of Health recommends post-exposure vaccinations for anyone having ‘direct physical contact with a bat,’ ” said Dr. Anthony J. Billittier IV, Erie County’s health commissioner.
“For this reason, we are asking the individuals who may have come into contact with this live bat to immediately contact the Erie County Department of Health at (716) 961-6800.”
And because the bat was not captured, health officials treat the case as “a possible rabies exposure” and must commence treatment, officials said.
Rabies is 100 percent curable if treated promptly, officials said.
“Every year, we treat dozens of individuals who place themselves at risk by unnecessarily handling wildlife,” Billittier said. “Not only is this a dangerous practice, it also costs taxpayers thousands of dollars. So please, keep away from any animal that you may come across when outdoors.”
tpignataro@buffnews.com
Reader comments
Log into MyBuffalo to post a comment
MyBuffalo is the new social network from Buffalo.com. Your MyBuffalo account lets you comment on and rate stories at buffalonews.com. You can also head over to mybuffalo.com to share your blog posts, stories, photos, and videos with the community. Join now or learn more.
Comments have been disabled.
Due to a high volume of submissions that violate The News’ guidelines, commenting is no longer available on this story. If you’d like to share your thoughts on this story, click here to get information on contributing to The News’ opinion pages.