A seventh Daubenton's Bat found with European Bat Lyssavirus - in Shropshire

We brought attention to the rabid bats amongst us earlier this year Friday, May 09, 2008 Rabid killer bat found - expect the headlines.

Now another dead bat has been found and been found positive for European Bat Lyssavirus type 2 (EBLV-2), by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) in Weybridge, Surrey which was found in Shropshire. See the very informative Defra webpage about the virus and its occurrence in the UK here - Rabies virus, including EBLV, can be transmitted to humans and to other animals. One such example was the tragic death of a Scottish bat conservationist (David McRae, 55, a volunteer naturalist and wildlife artist see Independent report 2/10/2002)from rabies caused by EBLV-type 2 in 2002.

A limited survey has shown that about 2% of Daubenton’s bats in England are seropositive which suggests they have been exposed to rabies virus and may be capable of transmitting it.

Since 1966 7 bats have been found and tested positive for the virus in Sussex, Lancashire, Surrey, Oxfordshire, and Shropshire.

Standard advice from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) is that if anyone is bitten by a bat the wound should be cleaned with soap and water and they should seek medical advice immediately.

Daubenton's bat (Myotis daubentonii ) is rarely found far from rivers or lakes and is characterised by a steady steady flight, often within a few centimetres of the water surface and is frequently said to look like a smallhovercraft.

Daubenton’s bats take aquatic insects, their larvae and pupae from on or close to the water surface.They have even been seen taking prey directly from the water surface, using their distinctive large furry feet as a gaff or the tail membrane as a scoop.

They are sometimes called the water bat.

They hibernate in small colonies and emerge in the spring and can range up to 7 kilometres from their roosts. They are not a threatened species in the UK, but they are endangered in West Germany and Austria.

You can hear recordings of their ultrasonic signals at this website. More information here