The Daubenton's bat pic: Hugh Clark/Bat Conservation Trust

A bat found in Bushy Park has been diagnosed as suffering from rabies.

The Daubenton's bat was found last August by a member of the public and passed to vets who noticed it displaying odd behaviour.

Later tests showed it was suffering from rabies and it was destroyed last Friday.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said tests showed the bat was suffering from European bat lyssavirus 2 (EBLV-2), a strain of bat rabies.

According to Defra the risk to human health was "negligible" but urged anyone who believed they or their pets had come in contact with that particular bat should contact authorities at the Animal Health Office at Chelmsford on 01245 358 383 or the Health Protection Agency on 020 8200 6868.

The Bat Conservation Trust says anyone who finds a sick or injured bat should not approach or handle it, but should contact them.

Amy Coyte, the trust's chief executive, said: "The protection of the public and batworkers is a priority for us, and in the UK, we have excellent systems in place for dealing with the small risk of EBLV2. We provide advice to the public through our bat helpline and are very fortunate to have a dedicated network of expert volunteers. Although the risk of the EBLV2 virus is very low, we work hard to ensure that good practice is always followed by people who are in contact with bats to minimise that risk even further."

"People can live in harmony with bats - thousands of householders live happily with bat roosts in their homes and every summer many more thousands enjoy venturing out to experience bats in their local environment."

"All UK bats and their roosts are protected by law as a result of significant declines in their populations during the past century. They need our help and protection to ensure they are around for future generations to enjoy."

2:58pm Friday 9th May 2008

Related Links

Health Protection Agency

The Bat Conservation Trust

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