flying fox rescue

The Real Facts About Bat Transmitted Diseases

Submitted by Gitie on 8 June, 2011 - 00:06

courtesy Bats Qld and Long Grass Wildlife Refuge Centre

Grey flying fox The incidence of Australian Bat Lysavirus (ABLV) in wild bats is about the same as the incidence of HIV in humans: between .09% and 1.2% of free-living population (1,2)

The instance is higher in sick animals that come into care. Bats with ABLV always die.

Responsible for two deaths (one of whom refused treatment). Post and pre-exposure treatment is 100% effective - not one vaccinated person has died from ABLV.

ABLV is saliva-borne and lives a short time outside the body.

ABLV kills. Vaccination is ESSENTIAL. In every continent except Australia and Antartica veterinarians, carers and members of the public are routinely vaccinated.

Humans catch Hendra (originally equine morbillivirus) from horses, not bats

No bat carer has ever caught Hendra. Screening 128 long-term bat carers found none had detectable antibodies (Selvey at al., 2006)

Bats do not suffer from or die from Hendra, but authorities have found antibodies in the amniotic fluid of bats and suspect they may be a host for the disease.... however

"This is all speculation though as we know that bats carry the virus but we don't know exactly how it gets into horses." Dr Stephen Prowse (2008), CEO of the Australian Biosecurty Cooperative research Centre for Emerging Infectious Disease

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2011 Year of the Bat Posters

Bats in Care - 2011 Year of the Bat Posters

Bats are the world's only flying mammal capable of sustained flight and are crucial to the survival of our forests.

Flying foxes and Microbats are endangered species. Many babies die every year as their mothers die by falling victim to barbed wires, bird netting, electrocution, wind farms and terrible storms. A baby flying fox cannot survive without its mother because it cannot thermoregulate for 3-5 weeks, feed itself or fly until 12-15 weeks of age.

Thanks to the collossal rescue efforts of the small but highly dedicated bat rescue groups like Bats Queensland and Long Grass Wildlife Refuge Centre many orphan bats and injured bats have been rescued and rehabilitated.

To celebrate the international Year of the Bat - Winged Hearts.org has created a series of Bats In Care Posters. These posters feature our own Gabriel Tuks - an orphaned black flying fox whom we were privileged to care for in 2009. Tuki as we fondly call him was successfully rehabilitated in March 2010.

You can preview and download the posters below (all free). Please feel free to share widely with your family and friends. We will be issuing a Special Edition on Flying Foxes and Bats in a few weeks' time. All subscribers will receive a free copy. To get your free subscription, enter your name and details in the box on the left hand bar.

Poster 1

yearofthebat-tuki1

Click here for Poster 1 - A4 size Click here for Poster 1 - A3 Size

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