Orange County Register

What would you do? Slap a bat and risk rabies

November 2nd, 2009, 5:19 pm · 6 Comments · posted by Samantha Gowen, Pet Tales editor

Hello, Manu Ginobili … did you know that rabies can be transmitted through saliva?

The sporting world has been all over a clip of a Halloween game between San Antonio Spurs and the Sacramento Kings in which Spurs guard Manu Ginobili slapped a bat from the air to the court.

The bat had sidelined the players twice as officials in the AT&T Center tried to rid it from the airspace. No such luck …

Teen treated for rabies after being bitten by bat in Riverside. Read more …

With one giant swing, Ginobili connected with the bat and sent it hurtling to the court. He then picked it up and handed to someone off-court.

Nobody’s really saying, but you can bet the bat is likely a goner. What the NBA should have said was “Do not attempt this at home.”

Ginobili probably didn’t know that his exposure to the bat could have led to rabies shots. Five of them. He reportedly sought treatment Monday.

And while it’s doubtful the wayward bat was rabid, we gotta ask:

Would you slap a bat from your airspace?

• Yes, if it got too close
• Nope, I'd run away
• I'll let someone else have the honor

View Results

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Posted in: Animals • Pets • Wacky news • Wildlife • bats • rabies • guard • kings • Manu Ginobili • sacramento • San Antonio • Spurs
 

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 6 Comments

• OC4truth says:

  November 2, 2009 at 9:47 pm

  The report on the link says the bat lived but the Spurs couldn’t locate it to test so he had to have the shots. Someone sure blew that one. It should be well known that bats can carry rabies so when he handed the bat to someone, they should have safely contained it and had it available for authorities to test for rabies.

  I’ve heard of other people batting them down with a broom or something.

  Post Reply
• Commishioner Gordon says:

  November 2, 2009 at 10:20 pm

  Where is Batman when you need him?

  Post Reply
• karl says:

  November 2, 2009 at 10:29 pm

  that’s ignant!

  Post Reply
• nijode says:

  November 3, 2009 at 2:38 am

  Bats fly through the dark intercepting flying insects such as mosquitoes. Each bat will intercept and eat as many as 2000 flying insects per hour. The precision with which they fly virtually precludes flying into a 7 foot basketball player by accident. I’d ignore it.

  Post Reply
• John S. says:

  November 3, 2009 at 10:21 am

  I am surprised it would be such a pest.

  Post Reply
  • Samantha Gowen, Pet Tales editor says:

    November 3, 2009 at 10:22 am

    Probably lost and confused by the light and heat signals in the arena … poor thing, eh?!

    Post Reply