A grandmother fears she may have a potentially fatal virus after being bitten by a bat while on holiday in Australia.
Sandi Galloway, from Geelong, was enjoying a trip to Cairns with her husband Gordon when she was attacked by the wild animal.
She was walking back to her hotel at about 11pm after grabbing a coffee with friends when she felt something flying near her head.
Sandi Galloway, from Geelong, was enjoying a trip to Cairns with her husband Gordon when she was attacked by the bat
The bite has left Mrs Galloway feeling sore and her forehead has been itchy and bright red since
‘I could feel it flying around my head,’ she explained.
‘I though it was trying to land on my hair. I swiped my hand to try to deter and the bloody thing nipped me twice on the forehead.’
The bite has left Mrs Galloway feeling sore and her forehead has been itchy and bright red since.
The grandmother is being tested for lyssavirus – which has a 100% mortality rate in Australia.
Only three people have contracted lyssavirus since 1996 – all through bat bites or scratches – and all three victims died
Only three people have contracted lyssavirus since 1996 – all through bat bites or scratches – and all three victims died.
Mrs Galloway didn’t initially go to see her doctor, but did so after her daughter told her she could have rabies. She now believes she has lyssavirus because of her symptoms.
She has had five injections and will have three more as doctors try to fend off any infection.
The upset woman, who is partially blind, told the Cairns Post that at first she did not even realise it was a bat that had attacked her.
‘I kept telling myself it was probably a spider because, even though a part of me knew it, I didn’t want to believe a bat had bitten me,’ she said.
‘Having (bats) in the middle of town is ridiculous. I find it abhorrent this happened while on holidays when I should’ve been enjoying myself, but instead stayed indoors afterwards for fear of it happening again.’
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk
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