B.C. vet warns of surge in bat encounters after positive rabies test

A veterinarian in British Columbia's Sea to Sky region warned of an expected increase in encounters with bats, following a recent rabies test on a bat that had direct contact with a human. Jordie Schnarr, a managing veterinarian with Coast Mountain Veterinary Services in Whistler, stated that a bat was tested positive for rabies in mid-July through the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

Schnarr expressed uncertainty about the individual who had contact with the bat. No known human rabies cases in British Columbia exist, following a 2024 fatality of an 11-year-old boy in Ontario. Schnarr noted a noticeable rise in reported encounters between bats and pets, with 25 people bringing in pets so far this year, compared to fewer than five cases last year, with some days seeing as many as six.

Bats may cause bites that leave no visible signs due to their small teeth, and Schnarr recommended seeking post-exposure care for pets within seven days of exposure, as rabies boosters are advised. Another bat found in Campbell River tested positive for rabies on July 24, and Campbell River Public Health noted that rabies is uncommon in B.C., with less than 0.5 percent of bats carrying the virus.

Official statistics show that the last human case of rabies in B.C. was in 2019. The Community Bat Program in the Okanagan region has reported a spike in lone bats roosting, suggesting some might be displaced by wildfires. Experts have suggested wildfires could be forcing bats to shift their habitats.