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UK Bat Rabies Exposure — SCE Infectious Diseases MCQ

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ModerateTravel Medicine & VaccinationUK Bat Rabies ExposureSCE Infectious Diseases

A 30-year-old woman is bitten by a bat in the UK. She presents 6 hours after the bite. She has never received rabies vaccination. The bat flew away before it could be captured. What is the appropriate post-exposure management?

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Correct answer: A — Full rabies PEP: wound cleaning, rabies vaccine course (days 0, 3, 7, 14), AND rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) infiltrated around the wound

European bat lyssaviruses (EBLV-1 and EBLV-2) are present in UK bats and can cause rabies. Any bat bite or scratch in the UK is a WHO Category III exposure requiring full PEP: thorough wound cleaning (soap and water for 15 minutes), rabies vaccine course, AND rabies immunoglobulin infiltrated around the wound. The bat species is irrelevant — all UK bat exposures are treated as potential rabies exposure. RIG provides immediate passive immunity while the vaccine generates an active immune response.

Reference: UKHSA 2024 – Rabies PEP guidelines; Green Book Ch 27: Rabies