Date: 8/15/25 10:25 am From: 'April Campbell' via Birders <birders...> Subject: Re: [birders] Bats
The woman I spoke to at the Health Dept said because I had not been bitten or really exposed they would not do anything and I needed to call Critter Control. So, there seems to be a bit of a disconnect between their website and what they (this particular person) tells you. I thought they would test the bat, but no. No bite, no test.I’m going to call them again and ask them to “clarify” the situation. Really, the bat should have been tested and this should be a free resource at it pertains to public health.
> On Aug 15, 2025, at 12:33 PM, Laura Woolley <lewoolle...> wrote:
>
> Thank you, George. This is helpful.
>
> Laura
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On Aug 15, 2025, at 12:13 AM, 'George Hammond' via Birders <birders...> wrote:
>>
>> Here is Washtenaw County’s page on rabies. They make it clear that they do very much want people to report animal bites and bat “exposures” and they do say they can arrange animal testing for rabies for a fee. They don’t say anything about testing wildlife that hasn’t bitten or potentially bitten a human. My sense is that to get enough information to be useful, many bats across the state would need to be killed every year (my understanding is that rabies testing is lethal to the animal), and it would cost quite a lot of money. I think in general people tend to think that there is much more monitoring of wildlife and wildlife disease than there actually is.
>> https://www.washtenaw.org/1795/Rabies <https://www.washtenaw.org/1795/Rabies> >>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> George
>>
>>> On Aug 13, 2025, at 4:16 PM, Mag Tait <magtait1...> wrote:
>>>
>>> I would think that they would give information on where to submit a bat for testing, or tell you who to contact. That is disappointing. Hard to get decent statistics if you don’t gather any information!
>>> I do know that the only place you can get post exposure rabies vaccinations locally are at UM Emergency Department. I know this because I did have to get them. It was at least eight years ago because it was when a distinctive raccoon, very reddish, that had been coming into my yard to try to get into the birdfeeders for ages came running out of my garage when I came back from a walk with my big old dog. Cubby went running after the raccoon, excited to have a chance at it, and it leaped onto his face . My little cat came running around the corner (I no longer have any outdoor cats) and leaped onto the raccoon in defense of her dog. So, I did the stupid but automatic thing of reaching in to grab my dog’s collar and pull him away from this raccoon that was trying to bite his face. In the middle of all this, I got scratched. The likelihood of rabies from a raccoon is very small, but it’s not something you mess around with. I had the honor of being the “most interesting patient“ in the emergency room that day, which was especially embarrassing because I worked in Trauma Burn. The whole series only cost me the emergency room fees, and the fact that I had to go back for the two follow up shots, which was relatively easy since I worked directly above them but still involved waiting around.
>>> I was shocked to find out that the cost to the insurance company was $15,000. I don’t know what the insurance company actually paid, but that was what the bill was. Coincidentally, I had a neighbor who had to go through the same series around the same time and his bill was similar.
>>> Mag
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>
>>>> On Aug 13, 2025, at 1:47 PM, April Campbell <adc14...> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Health Dept said they don't deal with wildlife. They don't even administer post exposure vaccines. Our public health system is almost nonexistent.
>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>
>>>>> On Aug 13, 2025, at 8:01 AM, Mag Tait <magtait1...> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> https://www.washtenaw.org/1795/Rabies <https://www.washtenaw.org/1795/Rabies>I was shocked that no one wanted to test the bat because I feel like someone keeps statistics. WASHER health department is a rabies resource. It might be worth calling them to see if they Have any advice on what we should do if this would happen again. if this happens again,
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On Tue, Aug 12, 2025 at 9:15 PM Laura Woolley <lewoolle...> <mailto:<lewoolle...>> wrote:
>>>>> It looks like a wound on its throat? I wonder if it was cat caught - or some other mammal? I hope it wasn’t rabid (which might have made it easier for an animal to catch it).
>>>>> Disappointing that no one was interested in the poor thing (but you were!). Maybe Washtenaw County Health Dept. would be interested? But you may have tried that as well.
>>>>> Thank you for caring.
>>>>> Laura
>>>>>
>>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>>
>>>>>> On Aug 12, 2025, at 7:46 PM, 'April Campbell' via Birders <birders...> <mailto:<birders...>> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Well, wouldn’t you know. The subject turns to bats and this poor bat shows up on my back patio. There wasn’t a mark on it. BTW,Ann Arbor is only for dogs (that’s what they told me). So, why not call it Dog Control and not have citizens waste time calling them about other wildlife? No one was interested in this bat , not the DNR, Humane Society, or Ann Arbor. Is it rabid? Who knows? Who cares? Apparently , no one. I ended up deposing of it myself. I have bats every night , but they are very diminished from years before, but as Ann Arbor becomes Manhattan, more diminishment is on the way.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> <IMG_1094.jpeg>
>>>>>>
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