Can bats transmit rabies to other kinds of wildlife or domestic animals and pets?
There is no evidence to suggest that rabies outbreaks in other kinds of wildlife and livestock can be linked to bats. Rabies can on occasion be transmitted to other wildlife if another animal comes into contact with a rabid bat. There are no records of a bat to dog transmission although there are rare transmissions to cats. These cases can be virtually eliminated if dogs and cats are kept properly vaccinated. What about putting up bat houses to attract bats? Putting up a bat house and having it occupied by bats is statistically safer than having an unvaccinated dog or cat or even gardening. Flowers in gardens attract bees and bee stings cause far more human fatalities than bats. The important thing to remember if you have an occupied bat house is to never handle a bat that you may find on the ground beneath your bat house. If you have to dispose of it, wear heavy gloves and use a shovel to pick up the bat. Having bats around your yard is very beneficial. Most garden pests are, in their
