Bat Encounter in Richmond Leads to Important Health Reminder

RICHMOND, Virginia — A doctor in Richmond recently had a startling experience when she woke up to find a bat trying to enter her mouth, and her story has gone viral, serving as a warning for others who might face a similar situation.

Dr. Krista Edelman, a gastroenterologist residing near Grove Avenue, was sound asleep in her nearly century-old home when the incident occurred. Since then, she has shared her experience on Instagram, where it has garnered over 33,000 shares.

“Prepare yourself; this is a bat public service announcement,” Edelman stated in her video.

Initially dreaming, she recalled sensing something close to her face. “I was dreaming about this cute little field mouse—it felt so real, that little field mouse trying to get into my mouth,” she explained.

As she began waking up, she instinctively reached for her mouth and grabbed what she thought was a flower. “Then I felt coarse hair on its back, and that’s when I realized—this isn’t a mouse,” Edelman recounted. “I screamed, something like ‘There’s a bat in my mouth! The bat is trying to get in my mouth!’”

Afterward, she quickly researched her options and discovered she should try to capture the bat instead of harming it to test for rabies. She also contacted a friend who specializes in infectious diseases for advice on whether she needed immediate rabies treatment.

“He was clearly anxious, and normally he’s not like that, which made me anxious too. I didn’t fully understand then that proximity to the brain increases the risk of rabies transmission,” Edelman shared.

Her friend urged her to seek treatment immediately. She went to the emergency department at St. Mary’s Hospital, where Dr. Adam Landsee, the assistant medical director of the ER, attended to her.

Landsee emphasized the seriousness of encountering a bat in one’s home. “If you wake up with a bat in your room, or your child’s room, you have to assume the worst,” he advised.

He explained that due to the small size of bat teeth, it can be hard to determine if a bite has occurred. “Bat bites can be really hard to notice, and rabies is essentially fatal, so treatment is necessary,” Landsee added.

Dr. Julia Murphy, a public health veterinarian with the Virginia Department of Health, noted that submissions of bats for rabies testing this year have increased, although the rate of positive tests has not risen.

Murphy suggests trying to trap any bats you find—like Edelman did—and then reaching out to your local health department for guidance. She mentioned that local health departments can usually conduct rabies testing within about 48 hours. If results are negative, a rabies vaccine would not be necessary.

“I highly encourage reaching out to local health or animal control services for direction,” Murphy said.

Edelman recently found out that the bat from her encounter tested negative for rabies. She expressed her desire to share her story to help others who might find themselves in a similar predicament.

“I felt compelled to share it because it humbled me. I grew up in rural Hanover, and you’d think I’d know what to do in such a situation, but I really didn’t,” Edelman reflected.