Early studies of bats as carriers of rabies seem to show that they could survive rabies infection and pass the disease on to other animals. This belief gave rise to the idea of large numbers of bats carrying rabies and received worldwide publicity. However, after 20 years of research a different story is told. Another disease of concern is histoplasmosis. Human infection occurs from breathing dust in the air contaminated by spores.
Symptoms ordinarily involve a cough and are flulike.
Bird droppings, frequently those of poultry or pigeons, are the chief source of infection for people. The fungus is occasionally present but rare in attics where bats roost, especially if they are hot or dry. Most cases in the United States are reported in the Mississippi and Ohio river valley area. Bats may also carry parasites such as mites, fleas, or ticks. Fortunately most bat parasites are host specific, which means they rarely bite pets or humans.