[operation clinton cleanup]

In Washington state it is estimated that more than 10% of the bat population is rabid.

Rabid, thats what I was thinking everytime he came flying at me with his mouth open... and when I was trying to pick him up in the towel.

[sweetliberty]

Oh I'll bet! Well, I'm glad you didn't get bit.

[ValerieUSA]

The Governor's mansion in Washington had a problem with bats - one was found in the baby's room. They've had to exterminate twice at least.

When I was a newspaper reporter I covered a sad story of a little 4 yr old girl in town who died of rabies she got from a bat. No one knew she had been bitten. A bat was found in the house, and her relatives killed it and buried it in the yard - then a week later she developed symptoms - but once the symptoms start, you can't be saved.

At the time the health dept. recommended that bats found in homes be killed with their brains intact and brought in for tests. They can determine if it has rabies from the brain tissue, and decide if the family needs preventive treatment then, while there's still time for it to be effective.