Monday, July 30, 2007

More Bats

Bat #2 just made a guest appearance. I'm annoyed. And now am DAMN WIDE AWAKE. How am I suppose to save lives tomorrow given the lack of sleep? Oh wait, it's adolescent clinic... don't need much sleep for that..

The answering service didn't consider "bats" to be an emergency... It will be an emergency when I go ballistic if I get a third visitor tonight. I called MS, who suggested that they may be coming from the vent in the bathroom.. which doesn't work, and never has, and may be providing a nice one way ticket into MY DAMN APARTMENT. Retrospectively, the noise from the ceiling, which I always assumed was from a squirrel, may have been, in fact, FROM BATS. Holy Bat Shit! (is that guano?).

So, what does the CDC say about bats??

Q: How can I tell if a bat has rabies?
A: Rabies can be confirmed only in a laboratory. However, any bat that is active by day, is found in a place where bats are not usually seen (for example, in a room in your home or on the lawn), or is unable to fly, is far more likely than others to be rabid. Such bats are often the most easily approached. Therefore, it is best never to handle any bat.

Q: What should I do if I come in contact with a bat?
A: If you are bitten by a bat -- or if infectious material (such as saliva) from a bat gets into your eyes, nose, mouth, or a wound -- wash the affected area thoroughly and get medical advice immediately. Whenever possible, the bat should be captured and sent to a laboratory for rabies testing (see: How can I safely capture a bat in my home?).
People usually know when they have been bitten by a bat. However, because bats have small teeth which may leave marks that are not easily seen, there are situations in which you should seek medical advice even in the absence of an obvious bite wound. For example, if you awaken and find a bat in your room, see a bat in the room of an unattended child, or see a bat near a mentally impaired or intoxicated person (NOT ME TONIGHT), seek medical advice and have the bat tested.

Bat #2 is currently flying in the hallway of the apartments (ie, not my fucking problem right now).. thank god other tenants are leaving for work before me tomorrow..

Argh,
B