Short report: Changes in knowledge of bat rabies and human exposure among United States cavers

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to evaluate changes in the knowledge of bat rabies and human exposure among United States cavers during the last decade. A survey was distributed among cavers who attended the National Speleological Society convention in 2000 and those who attended in 2010. In 2000 and 2010, 392 and 108 cavers, respectively, responded to the questionnaire. Eighty-five per cent of respondents in 2000 indicated a bat bite as a risk for rabies compared with all respondents in 2010 (P < 0.0001 controlling for age). The proportion of respondents indicating that they were advised to receive rabies pre-exposure prophylaxis (PreEP) because of caving increased (17% and 29%; P = 0.03 controlling for age). Among these, PreEP was received by 56% and 45%. Although recognition of the risk of rabies exposure from bats is important, the proportion of cavers acting on current recommendations regarding PreEP does not appear to have improved in the past decade. Copyright © 2014 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.