A 6-year-old Wisconsin girl is undergoing preventive treatment after being bitten by a rabid bat while climbing a tree outside her family’s home.
Cece Kale was playing near her home in Tigerton, a rural community in Shawano County, on June 23 when the bat reportedly wrapped its wings around her leg and bit her. The child said she repeatedly called for her family while struggling to get away from the animal.
“I tried to scream and scream and scream until they came,” Kale said to ABC7 Chicago.
Her brothers heard her cries and rushed to help. They managed to remove the bat from her leg, and one of them eventually killed the animal using a makeshift sword, according to the family. The bat was retained for testing and was later confirmed to have rabies.
Cece received the first of four prescribed rabies vaccine doses after the positive test was confirmed. She is now recovering and continuing the recommended series of injections intended to prevent the virus from causing illness.
Her mother, Elizabeth Kale, described the experience as terrifying and said the family was deeply concerned after learning that the bat had tested positive.
“When you realize that your child probably has an ancient old virus that’s 100% fatal, probably in her body. I mean it’s, it’s terrifying, you know. You have all the thoughts run through your head of like what if I bury my child?” mother Elizabeth Kale said.
Rabies is preventable when medical care is provided promptly after exposure, but it is almost always fatal once symptoms develop. The virus is generally transmitted through the saliva of an infected mammal, most commonly through a bite. Exposure may also occur when infected saliva enters a scratch, wound, or broken skin.
The Shawano-Menominee Counties Health Department said the bat involved in the incident was the first confirmed rabid bat reported in Shawano County this year. Officials said it is not unusual for the area to record at least one positive bat each year, highlighting the continued presence of rabies among local wildlife.
Health officials advise people to avoid touching bats and other wild animals, particularly those behaving unusually. Children should also be taught not to approach unfamiliar wildlife.
Anyone who is bitten or scratched by a wild animal should immediately wash the affected area thoroughly with soap and water before contacting a doctor, emergency department or local health authority. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says treatment for someone who has not previously received a rabies vaccine generally includes wound care, rabies immune globulin and vaccine doses administered on days zero, three, seven and 14.
Officials also recommend safely containing the animal for testing when this can be done without risking another exposure. People who find a bat inside their home should consult local health officials before releasing it, as testing may be necessary