Bats have very little desire to attack you, drink blood, or turn you into a vampire. However, these flying rodent-like creatures carry a shocking amount of germs and viruses—on their bodies, in their saliva, and in their droppings.
In fact, bats may carry more than 60 diseases that can be spread to humans. Since bats live huddled together in large groups, their germs tend to spread quickly to every bat in the nest or colony.
It’s important to call Hilton Head bat exterminators immediately to remove, block out, and control bats effectively. Although bat species in South Carolina are not especially aggressive, they’ll bite defensively if they feel threatened. Guano makes it likely for bats to spread disease even if you don’t come into direct contact with them.
Diseases Spread by Bats to Humans and Pets
Skin infections, lung diseases, and even fatal illnesses can pass from bats to people. Many of the pathogens on bats can also spread to dogs, cats, and other mammals. Bat removal by our certified pest control technicians can help your family avoid serious illness:
• Histoplasmosis: Guano (the word for bat poop) plays host to the fungus histoplasma, which can cause problems ranging from flu-like symptoms to severe lung infections. People typically become infected by contact with old guano lying in an attic or crawl space.
• SARS virus: Severe acute respiratory syndrome causes difficulty breathing along with chest pains, fatigue, fever, and headaches.
• Rabies: It’s rare for bats to spread rabies, but they’re capable of spreading this disease to humans.
• Ebola, Nipah, and Hendra viruses: Many deadly viral diseases can be carried and spread by bats.
If you have bats in your home or building, ask our Hilton Head bat exterminators to handle the problem for you! Always use extreme caution when cleaning up guano or removing a bat nest, and contact Island Pest Control for bat removal in the Hilton Head and Bluffton areas.
