Another disclaimer:
Skipping gloves when handling our most tiny and delicate patients is a calculated risk. We’re vaccinated of course, and we vaccinate the patients as they come in, and we do a LOT of hand washing between tasks and patients.

Bats are extremely social creatures and require direct contact with their caregiver to support their wellbeing and development. Even species that tend to be solitary in adulthood, like the seminole bat in the OP, have very strong social bonds with their mother and siblings.

They do not imprint and will gladly return to the wild when they are stronger and old enough. 🦇🖤

@nev fun fact: rabies is a hella fragile virus soon as it leaves the host’s body!

It pretty much has to immediately enter the potential new host’s blood stream to do the viral thing.

Like (theoretically, please nobody do this) if frothy rabid saliva was flung onto you, you could lick it with disgusting impunity. Assuming no open wounds, you would be a very gross and concerning person, but not because you had rabies.

That said, there are other pathogens that could be an issue with bats (and other animals). So thorough but normal cleaning would always be advisable.

But if there is *direct* contact with a bat by an unvaccinated person, I would absolutely have them go through post-exposure vaccination and immunoglobulin treatment.