As of: February 12, 2024, 12:11 p.m
By: Natascha Berger
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Big concern for four children in Australia: They were spotted playing with a bat that may have been infected with a deadly virus.
Authorities warn and hope to find the children quickly.
Ipswich – Authorities in Ipswich, Australia, a city in the state of Queensland, are asking the public for help in finding four children.
The reason: The children were seen playing with a bat in a park.
It is now feared that the bat was infected with a deadly virus and that the children could have become infected.
Australian bat lyssavirus: Have children had contact with an infected animal?
The virus is the Australian bat lyssavirus, also abbreviated ABLV.
But where does the suspicion come from that the bat is carrying the virus?
Hannah Bloch, the head of an Australian health department, tells
ABC News
that the animal was behaving abnormally.
Bats should not be touched.
The animals can transmit deadly viruses.
© IMAGO/Hermann Brehm
The bat lay on its stomach and had difficulty moving.
These are clear symptoms of the bat lyssavirus.
Although the virus is only found in around one percent of bats, the probability of infection in animals that behave abnormally increases to 30 percent.
Another virus recently made headlines, claiming many victims in an animal shelter near Bremen.
Bat virus in Australia: Authorities issue an urgent warning – children must be treated immediately
That's exactly why the health department is making a clear appeal to parents in Ipswich: Anyone who has been in the park should urgently speak to their children and contact the authorities as quickly as possible.
It is very important not to wait for the first symptoms to appear, but rather to contact the health department immediately.
Bat lyssavirus is fatal if not detected before symptoms appear.
From then on there is no effective treatment.
However, people at risk can be vaccinated.
The incubation period varies and can range from five days to two years.
If the children have been bitten or scratched by the bat, they must be treated immediately, according to authorities.
The German Tropical Institute also warned travelers to Australia about the deadly virus in 2017 and said that the likelihood of infection is higher, especially during the breeding season in October and November.
People are more likely to come into contact with bats at this time as the newborns are on the ground and people want to pick them up and save them.
In general, authorities advise against touching bats.
In Germany, however, observing the fluttering animals is easy with a few tips, as an expert explains.
Deadly bat virus claimed the life of an eight-year-old boy
The Ministry of Health in Australia hopes to find the four children quickly and thus avoid a tragedy.
Since 1996, three people have died from the Tollwood-like virus in Queensland, Australia.
The last death to date was in 2013 - an eight-year-old boy who was scratched by a bat and later died in hospital as a result.
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Rabies and bat lyssavirus: these are the symptoms
Infection with ABLV can cause a specific rabies disease to occur: symptoms include headache, fever, loss of appetite and fatigue.
Cramps and pain in the area of the bite or scratch wound are also typical.
For infected people, there is usually only seven to ten days between the appearance of the first symptoms and death, as the RKI reports.
The occurrence of the bat lyssavirus “cannot be ruled out anywhere”, which is why medical advice should always be sought as quickly as possible in the event of contact.
Bats with the deadly virus have also been found in Germany.