A baby is being treated for rabies after a bat bit her twice at her grandparents' home in Pasco, Washington, reported Tri-City Herald.
Sandra and Dan Anderson were looking after their 11-month-old granddaughter Alanna Saturday evening. Just when Dan opened the deck umbrella Sandra saw something flutter out toward the baby. "It was weird. I thought maybe it was moths," said Sandra.
She later noticed a bat stuck to Alanna's left shoulder. She shooed away the bat and saw two bite marks, one on the baby's shoulder near her neck and another on her back.
Alanna was rushed to the emergency department at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland, where she was given two immunoglobulin shots. The doctors also suggested an additional four vaccine shots for two weeks. The grandparents were also given precautionary vaccine shots as they had touched the animal.
However, none of them was aware that the bat had rabies. It was only on Mother's Day that the family noticed a bat fluttering inside the same deck umbrella and Allana's father, Derek, killed the animal. The family then gave the dead bat to the health department for testing and where it was found that it was a rabid bat.
According to the health officials it is important to take medications after coming into contact with bats. In the U.S., less than a percent of bats are rabid. Doctors said the condition could be fatal without any medication.
The Andersons said that they used the deck umbrella quite often. Derek said that it might be only after Dan cleaned the entire house, the usual area of bats was disturbed and they decided to rest inside the deck umbrella.
"I'm thankful we saw the bat on her and could take her for treatment," said Sandra.
