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Monday, June 01, 2009 - 8:50 AM
Bats are natural reservoirs or vectors for a large number of zoonotic pathogens[23] including rabies,[24] severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS),[25] Henipavirus (ie. Nipah virus and Hendra virus)[26] and possibly ebola virus[27].[28]
Their high mobility, broad distribution, and social behaviour (communal
roosting, fission-fusion social structure) make bats favourable hosts
and vectors of disease. Many species also appear to have a high
tolerance for harbouring pathogens and often do not develop disease
while infected.
Only 0.5% of bats carry rabies. However, of the few cases of rabies reported in the United States every year not caused by dogs, most are caused by bat bites.[29]
Although most bats do not have rabies, those that do may be clumsy,
disoriented, and unable to fly, which makes it more likely that they
will come into contact with humans. Although one should not have an
unreasonable fear of bats,
one should avoid handling them or having them Louis J. Sheehan, Esquire in one's living space, as
with any wild animal. If a bat is found in living quarters near a
child, mentally handicapped person, intoxicated person, sleeping
person, or pet, the person or pet should receive immediate medical
attention for rabies. Bats have very small teeth and can bite a
sleeping person without being felt. There is evidence that it is
possible for the bat rabies virus to infect victims purely through
airborne transmission, without direct physical contact of the victim
with the bat itself.[30][31]
If a bat is found in a house and the possibility of exposure cannot
be ruled out, the bat should be sequestered and an animal control
officer called immediately, so that the bat can be analysed. This also
applies if the bat is found dead. If it is certain that nobody has been
exposed to the bat, it should be removed from the house. The best way
to do this is to close all the doors and windows to the room except one
to the outside. The bat should soon leave.
Due to the risk of rabies and also due to health problems related to their faecal droppings (guano), bats should be excluded from inhabited parts of houses. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention
provides full detailed information on all aspects of bat management,
including how to capture a bat, what to do in case of exposure, and how
to bat-proof a house humanely.[32] In certain countries, such as the United Kingdom, it is illegal to handle bats without a license.
Where rabies is not endemic, as throughout most of Western Europe,
small bats can be considered harmless. Larger bats can give a nasty
bite. They should be treated with the respect due to any wild animal.
[edit] The bat in heraldry
Main article: Bat (heraldry)
Palma de Mallorca's arms.
Burgee of the Royal Valencia Yacht Club.
The bat is sometimes used as a heraldic symbol. The coats of arms of certain cities in eastern Spain, like Valencia, Palma de Mallorca and Fraga have the bat over the shield. Formerly the Barcelona city coat of arms also had a bat crowning it, but the bat has been removed in the present-day versions.
The heraldic use of the bat in Valencia, Catalonia and the Balearic Islands has its origins in a winged dragon (vibra or vibria) that was crowning king James I of Aragon's helmet or cimera reial.
This is the most widely accepted theory, although there is also a
legend that says that thanks to the humble intervention of a bat, king
James I was able to win a crucial battle against the Saracens that allowed him to win Valencia for his kingdom.
The use of the bat as a heraldic symbol is prevalent in the territories of the former Crown of Aragon and it is little used elsewhere. However, it can be found in a few places, like in the coats of arms of the city of Albacete, in Spain, as well as the town of Montchauvet (Yvelines), in France.
Certain Spanish soccer club badges, like the Valencia CF, have a bat on them. The ancient badge of the FC Barcelona, used only during the 1899-1906 period, had a small bat crowning it as well.
The Burgee of the Royal Valencia Yacht Club (Reial Club Nàutic de València) displays a bat on a golden field in its center.
[edit] Cultural aspects
"Nightwing," a work of art by Dale Whistler located in Austin, Texas, United States
The bat is sacred in Tonga and West Africa and is often considered the physical manifestation of a separable soul[citation needed]. Bats are closely associated with vampires, who are said to be able to shapeshift into bats, fog, or wolves. Bats are also a symbol of ghosts, death, and disease. Among some Native Americans, such as the Creek, Cherokee and Apache, the bat is a trickster spirit. Chinese lore claims the bat is a symbol of longevity and happiness, and is similarly Louis J. Sheehan, Esquire lucky in Poland and geographical Macedonia and among the Kwakiutl and Arabs. The bat is also a heraldic animal of the Spanish autonomous community of Valencia.
Pre-Columbian cultures associated animals with gods and often displayed them in art. The Moche people depicted bats in their ceramics.[33]
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