Bat may have exposed entire family to rabies

NORTH FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — A Johns Creek family of five is getting expensive rounds of rabies shots after a bat invaded their home.

Karen Rigsbee says the bat was flying around her house in the middle of the day, and she was concerned about her family.

Rigsbee’s son caught the bat with an old fishing net and tossed it outside.

“I was very much concerned for my kids’ safety because they were all home from school,” she said.

The Georgia Poison Center told Rigsbee that the bat likely flew in through the chimney and was in her house overnight.

The center believes the family members could have been bitten while they were sleeping.

“According to poison control, you may not have known if you’ve been bitten by a bat,” Rigsbee said.

The center offers counseling on exposure to potentially rabid animals, including bats, and treatment for bites from such animals.

“What we recommend is that every family member be treated with the vaccine. This is four shots over the course of a month, and this will offer protection,” said Dr. Gaylord Lopez with the Georgia Poison Center. “If someone develops rabies, it’s almost 100 percent fatal.”

The rabies shots for the Rigsbee family will cost around $14,000 each.

Cox Media Group