Overview

• The man in his 50s from northern NSW died on July 3, marking the state’s first human case of Australian bat lyssavirus and the fourth confirmed fatality nationwide.
• Australian bat lyssavirus is a rabies-like virus transmitted only through bites or scratches from infected bats and does not spread through the air.
• Once clinical symptoms develop, the infection is invariably fatal and there is no effective treatment beyond supportive care.
• Prompt wound washing for 15 minutes followed by rabies immunoglobulin and vaccine remains fully protective if administered before symptoms appear.
• NSW Health is probing additional exposure risks and reminds the public that only trained, vaccinated wildlife handlers should interact with bats, after 118 people required assessment for bat incidents in 2024.