Iowa Woman Finds Drowned Bat in Tea Mug

[xx_mandy_xx]

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - A western Iowa woman is recovering from the shock of finding a drowned bat in her tea mug _ after she sipped from the cup all day.

The brown bat, about the size of two tea bags, was found a few weeks ago by a 60-year-old Woodbury County woman, said Chuck Cipperley, an environmental director for the Siouxland health office in Sioux City.

"I knew the person, so I knew it was no joke," said Cipperley, who took the call from the woman.

The woman, who declined to identify herself, told Cipperley she found the bat when she was cleaning out the mug at night. She said she put the bat in a plastic bag before alerting the Siouxland health office the next morning.

Cipperley said the bat was sent that day _ Sept. 1 _ to the University Hygienic Laboratory in Coralville. Results showed the bat did not have rabies.

State Epidemiologist Patricia Quinlisk said had the bat been rabid, the woman probably would have underwent a series of rabies shots, even though the probability of contracting rabies would be low.

The virus needs a break in the skin to enter the body, said Susan Brockus, state public health veterinarian.

Mike Pentella, program manager at University Hygienic Laboratory, said the bat was a first for the lab.

"We test many, many bats," he said, "but none that have drowned in a cup of tea before."

[nightperson]

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - A western Iowa woman is recovering from the shock of finding a drowned bat in her tea mug _ after she sipped from the cup all day.

The brown bat, about the size of two tea bags, was found a few weeks ago by a 60-year-old Woodbury County woman, said Chuck Cipperley, an environmental director for the Siouxland health office in Sioux City.

"I knew the person, so I knew it was no joke," said Cipperley, who took the call from the woman.

The woman, who declined to identify herself, told Cipperley she found the bat when she was cleaning out the mug at night. She said she put the bat in a plastic bag before alerting the Siouxland health office the next morning.

Cipperley said the bat was sent that day _ Sept. 1 _ to the University Hygienic Laboratory in Coralville. Results showed the bat did not have rabies.

State Epidemiologist Patricia Quinlisk said had the bat been rabid, the woman probably would have underwent a series of rabies shots, even though the probability of contracting rabies would be low.

The virus needs a break in the skin to enter the body, said Susan Brockus, state public health veterinarian.

Mike Pentella, program manager at University Hygienic Laboratory, said the bat was a first for the lab.

"We test many, many bats," he said, "but none that have drowned in a cup of tea before."

:o

[xx_mandy_xx]

i think that freaked me out more than anything....can you imagine?  <>  :xx

[nightperson]

i think that freaked me out more than anything....can you imagine?  <>  :xx

no i couldnt yuck

[BadgeBabe]

I really feel for that poor lady. I used to find dead bats in the bathtub, the kitchen sink, on the floor, and live ones hanging from the ceiling fan or coming out of the fireplaces.. but never had direct contact with them.
I am SO afraid of bats!! Not afraid of snakes, spiders or even scorpions, but I am terrified by bats after living in a Victorian house years ago which was plagued by them. When it rained, bat droppings poured out of the gutter drains onto the sidewalks, it was so bad on the rooftop. Until you lived there, it was a really lovely Victorian house which had been turned into several beautiful apartments overlooking a wooded park. When you lived there, it was the Batcave.

I finally complained to the local health department after our landlord wouldn't do anything on his own and basically called those of us who had bats visit our apartments liars. They made the owner and his workers go into the attic to try to find out where the bats were getting into the living areas of the house and seal up the hole or holes.
The owner said that when they went into the attic, the smell of bat urine and guano ( bat droppings) was so strong they couldn't breathe.
Also, the bat droppings were piled up to their knees ( he was about 6' 4'').

Bats had lived in that attic for many generations. I doubt they ever got rid of them.
I found a man with a great house, got married and moved far away from the Batcave. Phewww.