Australian bat lyssavirus death reported in northern NSW
Officials with NSW Health report a rare case and fatality due to Australian bat lyssavirus (ABL) in a man in his 50s from Northern NSW.
According to Keira Glasgow, a Director in Health Protection at NSW Health, the man had been bitten by a bat several months ago and received treatment following the injury.
“We know 118 people required medical assessment after being bitten or scratched by bats in 2024, but this is the first confirmed case of the virus in NSW, and the fourth case in Australia, Glasgow notes.
“It is incredibly rare for the virus to transmit to humans, but once symptoms of lyssavirus start in people who are scratched or bitten by an infected bat, sadly there is no effective treatment.”
“If you are bitten or scratched by a bat, urgent medical assessment is crucial. You will need to wash the wound thoroughly for 15 minutes right away with soap and water and apply an antiseptic with anti-virus action, such as betadine, and allow it to dry. You will then require treatment with rabies immunoglobulin and rabies vaccine.”
Rabies virus and Australian bat lyssavirus (ABLV) belong to a group of viruses called lyssaviruses. These viruses transmit via a bite from an infected ("rabid") animal. They all cause a similar illness known as rabies, which affects the central nervous system and is usually fatal.
Only four cases of human infection with ABLV are recorded since the virus was first identified in 1996. Three cases were in Queensland and one in NSW, and all infections occurred after bites or scratches by bats.
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Rabies and ABLV infection cause similar symptoms. The early symptoms are flu-like, including headache, fever and fatigue. The illness progresses rapidly to paralysis, delirium, convulsions and death, usually within a week or two. Rabies cases and the three known human cases of ABLV infection have shown a wide variability in the time it takes for symptoms to appear following exposure to an infected animal (from several days to several years).
The best way to protect yourself from infection is to not touch bats. If you see a bat in distress, injured or trapped on the ground, do not try to rescue it. Instead, contact trained experts.