Terrified girl, 11, needed FIVE rabies jabs after being bitten by bat that flew into her home
The winged critter repeatedly bit Victoria Kimmet as she tried to defend herself in 'blind panic'
A YOUNG girl needed five RABIES jabs after being bitten by a BAT that flew into her home.
Victoria Kimmet, 11, threw her hands up in "blind panic" to fend off the critter as it flapped around her head.
Despite her best efforts the bat bit her five times as it flew around the living room while she was relaxing with her family.
After initially thinking it was a bird, the Kimmets quickly realised it was a bat when it started hanging upside down from the curtain rail.
Victoria was taken to A&E at Ninewells Hospital in her hometown of Dundee in Scotland.
An officer from the SSPCA was called to remove the pipistrelle from her home.
Bats can transmit the potentially deadly rabies disease to humans.
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Due to the uncommon nature of bat-bites, Victoria and her family had to wait for several hours at Ninewells for the appropriate medicine to be delivered from Edinburgh.
Victoria's father Steve said: “She wasn’t aware that she had actually been bitten - she just threw her hands up in a bit of a blind panic when it was flying around the room.
“It happened at her mum’s house, just off the Kingsway and it wasn’t until it actually hung from the curtain rail they realised it was a bat.”
Steve said the family rushed Victoria to Ninewells, where it was discovered she had five small bite-marks on her hand.
He added: “They got medication taxied over from Edinburgh and we had to go up for more injections at King’s Cross on Sunday.”
Animal Rescue Officer Sharon McKenzie said: “I was contacted to rescue a pipistrelle bat from a property in Dundee on Thursday evening (30 June).
“The bat was on the curtains in the living room and must have got in through the window.
“I was able to catch the bat and release it outside.
“Bats are not aggressive animals, although like any wild animal they may bite if they feel threatened.”
An NHS Tayside spokesperson said A&E departments see a small number of patients attending with animal bites.
They added: “It is very rare that someone would present with a bat bite.
“All patients are individually clinically assessed and offered the appropriate treatment.
“When a risk of rabies has been identified we would follow the latest Health Protection Scotland guidance.”