Richmond Doctor Wakes to Bat in Mouth, Urges Rabies Precautions

A Richmond gastroenterologist, Dr. Krista Edelman, woke up to a bat inside her mouth, noting the encounter occurred as she slept and that the bat did not bite her. She and her husband captured the bat in a bucket for rabies testing, following safety steps to avoid damaging the animal’s head for accurate results. Edelman sought emergency care at St. Mary’s Hospital, underscoring the urgency of potential rabies exposure and the need for prompt medical assessment. Public health guidance emphasizes not handling bats with bare hands, safely confining the animal to a single room, and contacting animal control or health officials to test the bat. Rabies is preventable, but once symptoms appear it is nearly always fatal, and bat teeth can cause exposure even without a noticeable bite. The incident has been widely shared online as a cautionary tale to take any bat encounter seriously and seek immediate medical advice.