Bat On Delta Flight 5121 Possibly Had Rabies, Center For Disease Control Says

Where is Samuel L. Jackson when you need him?

One week after a bat was discovered flying through an airplane cabin, health officials are trying to track down the 50 passengers believed to be at risk of rabies infection, the Associate Press reports.

The bat was captured on camera wandering around Delta flight 5121, which departed from Madison, Wisconsin to Atlanta, Georgia at 6:45 a.m. on Friday, August 5th. News.com.au reports that "shocked passengers ducked and dived" as the bat swooped close to their heads.

Some have suggested the animal may have just been a bird, and Delta officials and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention aren't certain the bat had rabies. If it was rabid, passengers could have been inflicted with the disease from a bite or contact with the animal's saliva.

CDC officials have asked that anyone who was on the flight call 1-866-613-2683.

Although just two to three people die every year from rabies, according to the Associated Press, if anyone on the plane was infected, it could take over two months for them to become sick:

The early symptoms are unremarkable – fever, headache and general weakness or discomfort. As the disease progresses, more telling symptoms appear like insomnia, anxiety, confusion, paralysis, hallucinations, agitation, an increase in salivation and a fear of water.

According to the Organization for Bat Conservation, a very low percentage of bats actually have rabies.

A deadly disease has killed over one million bats in the past five years.

Earlier this week, U.S. health authorities announced the first death by a vampire bat in the United States.

The footage of the bat on a plane surfaced through CNN's iReport.

WATCH:

Comments

[madisonhack]

08:35 PM on 08/14/2011

The bat probably was at the Capitol building too long and got bitten by David Prosser.

[Jamie Dufour]

06:43 PM on 08/14/2011

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) wants to test passengers on a Delta flight to Atlanta for rabies after a bat, who had stowed away onboard, started flying around the cabin. I think the CDC is overreacting a bit. It just seems very unlikely that any passengers could have given the bat rabies.

[KDMac]

03:41 PM on 08/16/2011

Unlikely, but it's still possible. Bat bites are so small, they're just about impossible to find and feel. I had a tenant who had a bat come in through his window (that's what screens are for, guess he shouldn't have removed it!), and he and and his friend woke up to find it on the wall. Because they were sleeping with a bat in the apartment, it was assumed there could have been a bite. The bat was tested at the Health Department -- had it been rabid, they both would have had to get the shots.

[Jamie Dufour]

07:46 PM on 08/16/2011

sadly you missed my joke......please re-read my comment... "I said I find it very unlikely that any passengers could have given the bat rabbies ! "

[kezaezy]

10:23 PM on 08/13/2011

I don't understand why there's an assumption of bat rabies. Doesn't sound like the bat bit anyone. Sounds like it got trapped on board and was flying around... as bats are wont to do.

[LesleyAnne]

11:56 AM on 08/13/2011

So, how did the bat get through the TSA screening?

[mystshy]

10:51 AM on 08/13/2011

madison is veryyyyyyy batttttyyyyyy to begin with..................was it a left wing bat>????

[madisonhack]

08:36 PM on 08/14/2011

Watch the video...it only makes right turns.

[SupremeIdiot]

09:28 AM on 08/13/2011

Where's Samuel L. Jackson when you need him?

[Itsmyland2]

10:43 AM on 08/13/2011

Rats - You beat me to the punch(line)

[rodsbadhairday]

08:33 AM on 08/13/2011

Yet another reason to hate air travel.

[Tiny Timmy]

08:30 AM on 08/13/2011

I just learned something new... Fear of water? A sign of advanced rabies? Had no clue!

[madisonhack]

08:36 PM on 08/14/2011

Hydrophobia.

[TheNewShadeofBlue]

06:02 AM on 08/13/2011

Did the ding bat have the disease or not? Don't cause a freaking panic when there is a very low possibility of it being true.

[srooge]

05:56 AM on 08/13/2011

So much for TSA.

[SitandStay]

02:46 AM on 08/13/2011

What was the extra charge for the Bat Flight?

They probably gave out credit or flight vouchers that we as taxpayers get absorb.
The fares and write offs make airlines a total impossibility to audit, even for the IRS. But they would never even attempt to audit them.....even if we had an honest or competent accountant in this country.

[Dogmudgeon]

01:52 AM on 08/13/2011

What's this? The Huffington Post is fear-mongering?

NO WAY!

[Inannawhimsey]

05:09 AM on 08/13/2011

Yeah, poor bat, all those passengers french-kissing to check for rabies *tsk tsk*

[Ossit]

01:32 AM on 08/13/2011

You've got to learn to trust animals people. I held a Chilian Rose tarantula for the first and last time years ago. When it first saw me it reared up showing his fangs. I was amazed. Here was this big hairy spider, 8 eyes, 1inch fangs and IT was scared of me? It calmed down it was put in my hands and just sat. The pet shop lady blew on it to make it walk. I didn't feel a thing. My fear disappeared. Then it stopped and just sat in my palms. I got scared not because it didn't do anything, I flashed back to its original defensive poster of rearing up fangs exposed. But what did that spider do? Nothing despite it feeling me vibrating with fear. I then stopped shaking. I learned to trust that spider. It had no reason to bite, it was more scared of me in the beginning, it felt comfortable and enjoyed the warmth of my hands. Am I scared of tarantulas now? Nope.You don't give it a reason to attack it won't. With bats give them a chance to escape and they will. I got stung by a honey bee for one reason. I swatted it. I'm now allergic to bee stings. I've been around them since and as long as I don't attack them, they let me be. Leave an animal alone, and they'll leave you alone.

[gx5000]

03:55 PM on 08/16/2011

There IS a small danger with wild animals though and we both know that.
But I agree with you that people seem to react as if they're dealing with Killers, so silly... being cautious ALSO means not going overboard ;)

Cheers !

[SuiginTou7]

01:26 AM on 08/13/2011

I recently took a Delta flight from Minneapolis to San Francisco. A bat on board the plane would have been welcomed more than the movie that was shown.....

[Inannawhimsey]

05:09 AM on 08/13/2011

What was it, USA Patriots fight Generic Enemy?

[Blacksheep1]

07:23 AM on 08/13/2011

Wow, somebody's bitter, you must have been turned back at the recruiting station.....

[bardofoc]

01:08 AM on 08/13/2011

There you go. How big of an unnecessary nuisance are bats? That is one species that should be human propelled into extinction.

[DodieG]

07:22 AM on 08/13/2011

We need those critters to keep down the mosquito population along with other flying insects that do terrible damage to crops. They eat more insects than any other predator. Bats are currently nearing extinction due to a condition called "white nose". Scientists still not sure why--unless you consider some kind of human related cause.

I've only seen one bat this summer. Back in the 60's the night skies in my hometown were filled with them.