A Pilbara resident says she did not realise how serious a bat bite could be until she experienced it herself. A very small number of bats carry the deadly lyssavirus which is communicable to humans. The unlucky woman is undergoing a painful course of preventive treatment.
Incurable once you’re symptomatic, and, to be totally clear for anyone not aware, invariably fatal. It’s a horrible death, too. Also, the incubation period can be anywhere from a few weeks to two years.
The ABC article could have benefited from making that clearer. It calls the virus ‘deadly’, but doesn’t impress upon the reader just how deadly.