Overview

• A bat discovered by a private individual in Berlin-Charlottenburg tested positive for European bat lyssavirus 1.
• German authorities classify bat-transmitted rabies (Fledermaustollwut) as a distinct, legally notifiable disease separate from fox rabies.
• The virus spreads through infected bat saliva entering the body via bites or scratch wounds.
• Residents are advised to avoid handling bats without protective gloves or towels and to seek prompt medical advice after any possible exposure.
• Human infections remain extremely rare, with only three cases recorded in Berlin since 2020, but gaps in surveillance leave the virus’s prevalence and affected species uncertain.