A man with the child knocked the bat off, and the two walked away. It is not known if the bat bit either the man or child. The person who saw the incident heard the man speaking Spanish. The bat was picked up by a San Marcos animal control officer and sent to the TDH Laboratory for testing. In addition to the man and boy, anyone who came in contact with a bat at the mall is advised to immediately contact a physician to determine if rabies prevention shots are needed.
Bats are prevalent in Texas.
Rabies is a deadly viral illness. People become infected with the rabies virus if they are bitten by an animal that has the disease. People should never touch a sick or dead bat. Any wild animal such as a bat, raccoon, skunk, coyote or fox may be sick if it acts unnaturally, especially if it shows no fear of humans.