… because those that do not stay away from humans or otherwise act strangely are more likely to have rabies.
https://www.ksl.com/article/46423181/utah-man-dies-from-rabies-first-in-state-in-74-years
Bats are far more helpful than harmful. We have a few around our place. I wish we had many more - great bug control.
ANY mammal that acts odd should make someone feel wary. It could be a bat. It could be a house cat or “injured” dog. We’ve put down three most likely rabid animals on or near our property this year. None were bats. Two were skunks and the other a groundhog. I took a video of the groundhog first and have used it to show people - esp parents of young kids (who moved in nearby) to warn their youngsters NOT to help the “poor injured critter.” I’ve shown it to some at school too.
That said, it’s sickening how many people kill perfectly normal, good, bats just because they are afraid of them IMO. A normal one (in the US) won’t bite humans. If one does or tries, seek help.
I have a wonderful bat story from a couple years ago, but I’ll cut to the chase.
On vacation in the mountains. Three of 4 bats tested negative for rabies. Due to the lack of the fourth bat, Sushiritto and family nevertheless had the 3-4 week course of rabies shots per the Federal Government, who were called in by county officials.
Day 0 or 1 was the worst of it, with 7 shots IIRC. Day 0 (or 1) requires the rabies immunoglobulin dose, which is based on weight. The vaccine is just the one shot each “day.” The immunoglobin taken Day 0 or 1 was 6 shots.
Yep, I’m an expert. But hey, look on the bright side, I’m immune to rabies for 10 years. 8-|
Rabies is rare, so they had to fly in the vaccine from OOS. Why? Once you develop rabies, it’s just about 100% mortality. Advice - Stay far away from bat poop or bat saliva. 
Bat poop does not transfer rabies, but saliva can. There are are other dangers associated with bat poop though so do stay out of guano. At least where I live, rabies incidence in bats is way lower than that in raccoons or other animals. People generally tend to think of all bats being rabid because the bats that come in contact with humans (found on the ground) tend to be sick. Healthy bats avoid humans.
Bats are EXCELLENT mosquito control. We erected a boathouse for our little brown batsies neighbors. We carefully studied where to place it (it has to face south and be within so many feet of source of drinking water for bats).This spring, they populated the dwelling and had two babies in there. We watched their crowd emerge from the house just after the sunset every day, one by one, heading in the direction of our pond to have a drink of water. Then they were silently zooming above our deck, cleaning out mosquitoes. Not a single bigger bit me or Mr.!! Then momma bats kicked everyone else out of the house and had their babies in there, and when the kids grew up, the bats flew the coup.
Do you know that little brown bats live 20-30 years? They only have one baby per year… Fascinating animals. We are adding anothe house for them. 
I think the bat population has declined in recent years, which is unfortunate, given their role in the ecosystem (yep, mosquito control). Many are being killed by white-nose syndrome, a fungal infection. I’m a little afraid of bats but I also admire them, so when I’ve been lucky enough to see them darting through the sky, I usually go or stay inside and observe them through the windows.
I agree with others that the benefits of bats is significant. We have bats in the woods near our house, and for a while had a few living in one corner of the house (we successfully evicted them without any incident). I have long credited them for why our local mosquito population is much lower than you might expect given the local sources of water.
If you watch a bat flying at normal speed their motion looks jerky. However, in slow motion and up close, when they are veering wildly it is either to catch a bug, or because they scoop up a bug in their wing and eat it. Either way the sudden veering to one side is death to a mosquito sized bug, which is good for us humans.
We had a sick racoon in our yard about 15 or 18 years ago wandering aimlessly in full sunshine. I would not let the kids go outside until the local animal control officer caught it and took it away. As @Creekland said, any mammal acting strangely is a reason to use strong caution.
I am glad to thus far, there is NO rabies in our state of HI. We are very fortunate.
This is a good reminder that delaying treatment can lead to tragic results. The Utah man went to a chiropractor instead of a real doctor and by the time he went to a real doctor, it was too late.
I don’t have a problem with chiropractors and other forms of “alternative” medicine but when you feel numbness and pain, it’s time to go to a doctor!
My sister and I were talking about how the current rabies shot regimen is much less horrible than it was when we were kids. When we were kids, several of our friends needed to be vaccinated and the vaccination was given in the gut not the arm and seemed to involve more shots. She commented on how odd it was that we knew so many people who had rabies vaccinations, which of course devolved into laughter because it was clear it was a case of “you know you’re a redneck when…”
Rabies wasn’t uncommon in south Florida when we were growing up and from what I can tell, it’s not uncommon now, either. The vaccination is readily available around here, docs know what questions to ask when people come into contact with sick, injured or dead mammals and people who have lived here for a while know to talk to kids about not touching them.
All that being said, we love our neighborhood bats and wildlife. No need to be afraid of it, just use normal common sense. And if something happens and you’re exposed, get the vaccination - not the end of the world. But you do possibly join the ranks of people who know they’re a redneck when…
One of my daughters worked at a horseback riding camp nearby, and one of her coworkers was bitten by a bat, which did indeed have rabies. The coworker had the shots and was fine. I’m pretty sure she found the incident less bothersome than another camp injury: she fell or was thrown off a horse, which then accidentally stepped on her face.
Both my daughters received the rabies vaccination before their study abroad programs, one in Ghana and the other in Vietnam. In these situations, the vaccination was recommended not because of bats but because of the higher (than in the U.S.) likelihood of being bitten by a rabid dog or other animal. We were told that getting the vaccination, a series of three shots, would not prevent them from getting rabies if they were bitten. Instead, it would provide a time buffer, so that instead of needing to get to a doctor within a few hours to start the treatment, they would have 24-48 hours to get to effective treatment (e.g., possibly in a different country).
My niece was exposed to a rabid bat when she was 18 months old. A bat came down their chimney when my sister had walked away for a minute and it was near my niece when she came back in. My bil caught it, and when tested, it tested positive.
We live with rabies cases all around us and haven’t had anyone make the local news for dying yet. I don’t know of anyone personally who had to get the shots, but I’m sure they’re available if needed. There was one family that made the news when they were attacked by a rabid beaver this past summer. We mainly teach everyone (including newcomers to our area) what to do to stay safe and keep their kids safe.
We also teach them that bats are great to have around, although granted, not in someone’s house. If one were in a house, esp with someone sleeping, then it’s imperative to kill/test the bat - just in case.
Here’s a look at PA’s current stats of reported/confirmed cases:
https://www.agriculture.pa.gov/Animals/AHDServices/diseases/Pages/Rabies.aspx
Raccoons win (153). Bats are second (45). Skunks are third (28). Cats are fourth (26). Foxes are the last of the double digits so far this year (24). All as of this typing of course. Our state could update that at any time as needed.
Note that this is reported animals only. Most of us don’t actually report those suspected critters we kill. We just kill them, bury them (using gloves), and notify all the neighbors so they can be watchful. Submitting the critter for testing is only needed if there has been suspected contact with a human or animal. So far this hasn’t happened with us (did for our neighbor once - and was positive).
Keeping our own animals updated on vaccines is vital.
Like rosered55’s kids, my son also got a rabies shot before going to Jordan, for the same reason.
Bats are amazing animals. Re rabies, my understanding is that the ones to fear are the ones on the ground that are sick, otherwise no worries.
If you are ever near the University of Florida, check out their bat houses and watch the bats exit each night just after sunset.
We get them dive bombing in our pool in the summer when the lights are on at night. I’ve always had an irrational fear they’d get tangled in my hair.
My youngest did a full semester Study Abroad in Jordan last year. I don’t recall rabies vax being recommended or required. He didn’t get it or need it. He was in Amman, so perhaps that makes a difference vs being further away from medical care if it had been required. That said, he traveled the country and had a blast (as did we when we visited him).
@eyemamom Apparently a lot of people have that fear. When we went to Carlsbad to see the bats a few years ago our Park Ranger mentioned it, then asked for guesses on how many times it had happened. The answer was zero even with millions of bats and oodles of visitors over time. Perhaps that can help the fear? (Maybe not as I know I have an irrational fear of snakes I can’t overcome. It’s my weak point for loving nature…sigh.)
This article from BBC seemed timely to remind everyone to be vigilant even when traveling. It’s about a Briton who died after being bitten by a rabid cat in Morocco. It also gives more worldwide stats.
Rabies is a disease to be respected. If someone gets a bite, treat it with the respect it needs:
@Creekland - it’s not just bats, but all birds. Hence the irrational part - but I’m glad to hear it’s a thing as my husband doesn’t understand how on earth I can be afraid of something like that. A local restaurant had a rabid raccoon wander into the front doors and bit a woman sitting at a table! They were on a highway in a strip mall type place so how that raccoon got through all of that is a mystery. She ended up having to have the shots as well.
Maybe I misunderstand the fear, @eyemamom , but I don’t believe birds can even get or carry rabies. Nor can opossums. (Helpful info you know when you are a redneck - one of my friends got a very serious opossum bite a few years ago and even though the bite wound became infected and did not heal for months, the one saving grace was that she didn’t need to be treated for rabies because opossums aren’t carriers.)