Need help with assessing the risk of possible bat bite
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Hello,
I'm asking for help with assessing the risk of possible bat bite, which happened about a two weeks ago.
Last Friday, I woke up with a small wound on my forearm resembling a bat bite I found at this site: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/Wound_from_canine_teeth_of_Eptesicus_fuscus.jpg
I also attach my own pictures taken about 18 hours later.
You can see that the wounds are almost identical - one a little deeper than the other, with the same diameter and also the same distance between those marks, which is about 4mm.
The point is that I actually haven't spotted any bat, but during the last months I was forced to sleep with windows wide open due to the high temperatures. I also remember hearing strange squeaking noises coming from outside one night, can't exactly remember which night though.
There are quite a lot of bat species in my city, some of them also known to carry the rabies virus. Two bats were also tested positive in 1999.
I just can't get it out of my mind due to the fact how similar those wounds were compared to the one on wikipedia.
Therefore, I contacted a bat advice centre in my country, but they reassured me that there is nothing to worry about, as there were only 5 bats tested positive for rabies during the last 30 years in our country, and that bats usually don't attack people anyway (I know that healthy bats don't, but I'm not that sure about rabid ones, and also I could theoretically lay down on a bat while sleeping).
I mentioned the bite during my last doctor visit regarding gastric problems and showed her the images I've taken. She just said it could be anything (I haven't mentioned a bat and I bet that possibility didn't even cross her mind).
I know doctors recommend PEP whenever there is a possible contact with a bat, therefore I'm not asking what 'should I do', but rather what would you guys do if you were in my place. Thanks in advance for any advices.
JR
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