A teenager’s attempt to investigate strange sounds from a home air conditioner led to an unexpected encounter and a precautionary trip to the pediatric emergency room at Rambam Health Care Campus (Rambam). Medical staff say the case serves as an important reminder that any potential exposure to a bat should be taken seriously.
Professor Shahar Shelly. Photography: Rambam HCC.
A 15-year-old boy from the Haifa area was treated at Rambam’s Cheryl Spencer Pediatric Emergency Department in the Ruth Rappaport Children’s Hospital following suspected exposure to a bat that entered the family’s home through an air-conditioning unit. The emergency department team described the incident as one of the more unusual cases it had recently encountered.
The teenager heard unusual noises coming from the air conditioner and approached the unit to determine their source. He then discovered a small bat hiding inside the system, and during his attempt to free the animal, secretions from the bat fell on his face and entered his mouth. At the same time, the family’s cat pounced on the bat.
Concerned about possible health risks associated with contact with bats, the teen sought medical evaluation at Rambam. Medical staff assessed the situation and provided preventive treatment for rabies in accordance with Ministry of Health guidelines before discharging him home in good condition. The family was also advised that the cat should receive appropriate preventive care.
Riad Shiekh, Head Nurse of the Cheryl Spencer Pediatric Emergency Department, explained that Ministry of Health guidelines require any suspected contact with a bat to be taken seriously, even when there is no visible injury. “In such cases, people should go to an emergency department or a district health office to receive preventive treatment for rabies,” Shiekh said. “A bat is considered a potential carrier of the disease, even when there has been no direct contact or visible injury. We do not take risks.”
