Last Updated on September 29, 2026

bat on head
Image created with the assistance of ChatGPT by the author
I Woke Up With A Bat on My Head and Now I’m in the ER … by Dr. Stephen Schimpff

If you have direct contact with a bat (or other wild animal), don’t handle it yourself. Contact animal control or your health department so that it can be safely captured and, when appropriate, tested. If the animal is gone and can’t be tested promptly, seek medical advice about whether rabies prophylaxis is needed