A Virginia doctor described a terrifying experience last week when she awoke to find a bat attempting to enter her mouth while she slept.

Dr. Krista Edelman, a gastroenterologist, was reportedly dreaming of a small mouse when she sensed something "slimy and hairy and cool" near her face. Realizing it was a bat trying to burrow into her mouth, she reacted by grabbing the creature and throwing it across the room before screaming to alert her husband.

Following the incident, Edelman promptly researched the potential risks and managed to trap the bat for testing. She shared her experience in a viral video on her Instagram account, which garnered over 1.1 million views.

Edelman consulted with a friend who is an infectious disease doctor, who expressed concern and advised her to seek immediate treatment due to the potential for rabies transmission, especially with exposures closer to the brain.

She then went to the emergency department at St. Mary's Hospital, where she works. Dr. Adam Landsee, the assistant medical director for the ER, stressed the seriousness of such encounters, advising that if a bat is found in a sleeping area, one must "assume the worst." He noted that bat teeth are very small, making it difficult to determine if a bite has occurred, and highlighted that rabies is nearly always fatal if untreated.

Virginia's public health veterinarian, Dr. Julia Murphy of the Virginia Department of Health, stated that while submissions of bats for rabies testing have increased this year, the proportion testing positive has not risen. She recommended trapping the bat if possible and contacting the local health department for testing. Rabies testing for bats typically takes about 48 hours, and a vaccine is not necessary if the test result is negative.

Ultimately, the bat that encountered Dr. Edelman tested negative for rabies. She decided to share her story to educate others, admitting she was humbled by her lack of complete knowledge on how to handle such a situation despite growing up in a rural area.

Comments on her Instagram post revealed that others have had unnerving encounters with bats, with one user mentioning having to cancel a honeymoon due to a bat incident. This underscores the importance of awareness and proper procedure when dealing with potential rabies exposure.