Bat rabies exposures and safety practices among a self-selecting sample of French bat handlers

Objectives European bats can be infected by several lyssaviruses, the causative agents of rabies. These viruses can be transmitted from bats to humans and result in a fatal viral encephalitis. Bat handlers are at special risk of lyssaviruses exposure because they regularly handle bats for conservation, scientific, and welfare purposes. Methods An online survey was conducted among a large French network of bat handlers to evaluate the knowledge and perception of bat lyssavirus risk, safety practices and bat exposures as well as factors that might increase exposure risk. Results Eligible responses were received from 130 bat handlers. Most respondents (89.2%) reported that they experienced at least one bat bite since they started handling bats. Awareness of the risk of bat-human lyssavirus transmission was high (82.3% of respondents). The safety practices were implemented by most respondents: 83.1% were vaccinated against rabies and 80.8% systematically used gloves to handle bats. However, gaps between recommendations and practice were noted regarding post-vaccination antirabies periodic serological monitoring and recourse to post-exposure prophylaxis administration after bat exposure. Conclusions This research provides new prospects for improving the training of bat handlers and compliance with safety practices with regard to the risk of exposure to the bat lyssaviruses.