Updated 02 October 2002, 17.13

(picture BCT/J J Kaczanow)

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Luckily she wasn't found to be carrying the disease, and now bat experts are trying to find out if any more of the animals are carrying it.

			Fact File
	Is rabies dangerous?
		It's a virus that can kill all mammals, including man
		It's spread when an infected animal bites another mammal
		Britain has been free from Rabies since 1922
		Some European bats carry the virus and fly into Britain
		This latest incident doesn't change Britain's Rabies-free status
		The government introduced pet passports to keep the disease out

Rabies is a disease that affects the brain and in some cases kills people, but medicine in this country is so good that it is extremely rare.

One of the top people at the Bat Conservation Trust, Amy Coyte, said there is more chance of being killed by a bee sting than by a rabid bat bite.

She added that humans are not likely to come into contact with the type of bats that might be carrying rabies because they normally live in trees and by rivers, and not near people's houses.

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