ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, September 3, 1996 TAG: 9609040049
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 3 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: health notes
SOURCE: SANDRA BROWN KELLY
Bats are cute. At least to some people, they are cute.
Or, at the very least, they're certainly not the sinister creatures of horror movie depiction. But we do need to be a bit cautious about these fellows because they can carry rabies.
So far in Virginia bats have been benign companions for humans. That's not the case elsewhere in the country so it won't hurt for Virginians to be a little cautious about relationships with bats.
Between 1980 and 1995, 15 of the 28 humans who died from rabies in the U.S. were infected with a bat variant of the rabies virus, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
Of those 15, one reported a bite from a bat but was not treated. Nine had physical contact with a bat, but didn't report any bite and also were not treated. Five had no known contact with bats, but bats had been seen in the bedrooms of several of the children who died from rabies.
Because of this history of possible infection from such distant contact with a bat, health department officials have developed some bat-handling guidelines.
In any case of bat-human contact where rabies infection is a possibility, the bat should be collected for rabies testing.
Rabies prophylaxis shots are recommended for all persons bitten or scratched by a bat or who have been exposed to the mucous membrane of a bat unless the bat tests negative for rabies.
A domestic animal that has been in contact with a bat, or is found in the room with one, should be handled as though it was exposed to the bat. If the bat is not testable for rabies, then the animal should be given a booster rabies shot, euthanized or isolated depending on its rabies vaccination history.
Now, here's the hard part. How do you deal with a bat that has gotten into the house?
If you think the bat may have exposed a person or pet to rabies, you need to capture it without damaging the bat's head.
Close windows and doors to the room and closets; turn on lights if room is dark and wait for the bat to land. Wear gloves, cover the bat with a coffee can or something similar; slide a piece of cardboard under the can, trapping the bat. Contact the local health department or call animal control to arrange testing of the bat.
If no pet or person has been exposed to the bat, try to get it to leave on its own. Close the room and closet doors, OPEN windows, turn on a light and watch the bat until it leaves. If the bat doesn't leave, wait for it to land and follow above instructions of catching it in a can.
Finally, tape the cardboard tightly to the can, wait until dark and take the bat outdoors away from populated areas and let it go free.
Screenings
On Sept. 11, the Lewis-Gale Regional Cancer Center will give free breast and cervical cancer examinations to women who don't have a regular gynecologist, have no history of gynecological cancer and have not had a hysterectomy.
Screenings will be done from 5:30-8:30 p.m. and include a physical examination of the breasts, underarms and cervix. A Pap smear also is included.
Appointments are required and can be made at 776-4860.
Sex and diseases
Some people, especially teens and young adults who find it difficult to discuss sexually transmitted diseases with a doctor, might find help in brochures from the American Social Health Association.
People under age 25 account for two-thirds of the new STD infections in the U.S. each year, and some STDs, such as genital herpes and human papillomavirus, are lifelong conditions. The association has a free guide for women, "My Health Matters: How to Talk to Your Doctor About Sexual Health," which can be ordered by calling (800) 972-8500.
Other brochures available include "Sex Talk," a guide to communicating with a partner about sexual health; "Better Sex, Healthy Sex," a guide to condom use; and "Condoms, Contraceptives and STDs," which describes major forms of contraceptives and compares their effectiveness against STDs.
The association also operates the Centers for Disease Control, National STD Hotline, (800) 227-8922, where you can find out almost anything you want to know about STDs, including locations of testing or treatment sites.
Asthma talk
Dr. Thomas Fame of Lewis-Gale Clinic's Department of Allergy and Immunology will speak about care, prevention and self-management of asthma on Wednesday, Sept. 11, from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Lewis-Gale Foundation.
For more information, call (540) 774-4022.
Cuts for a cause
On Oct 5, staff at Regis Hairstylists salons throughout the country will give $10 haircuts and then give the money for cancer research in the Sixth Annual Clip for the Cure fund-raisers. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the salons in 800 malls throughout North America and the United Kingdom will participate.
Regis has salons at Valley View and Tanglewood malls in the Roanoke Valley, at New River Valley Mall in Christiansburg and at River Ridge Mall in Lynchburg. To find out locations, call (800) 777-4444.
Lice follow-up
Last week, this column related school officials' concern about head lice and the suggestion for treatment with a commercial product. A Pulaski woman who did not want her name used called to offer an alternative treatment.
She said as a little girl in Pulaski County she and her siblings had lice, and her mother used a treatment suggested in the Farmer's Almanac: Rinse the head in vinegar as warm as you can stand, then wrap the head in a towel and leave it for about an hour.
She said it really works and it's certainly cheap. Try at your own risk, though.
You can contact Sandra Brown Kelly at (800) 346-1234, ext. 393, outside the Roanoke Valley, or at 981-3393 or at biznews@roanoke.infi.net.
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