Florida couple eat dead bat in salad

  • 11/04/2017
Florida couple eat dead bat in salad

There's mystery around how a dead bat found its way into a Florida couple's pre-packaged salad.

Authorities are investigating the find after the pair noticed the animal in the packet earlier this month - but only after having eaten some of the salad.

There was concern about the possibility they could have contracted rabies because bats in the US sometimes carry the disease.

The remains were sent to a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) laboratory for testing, but its "deteriorated condition" meant it wasn't possible to get a definitive answer if the bat carried the disease.

However, the CDC says transmission of rabies is "extremely uncommon" from eating an infected animal and the virus can't survive outside of its host for very long.

The pair are still undergoing medical evaluations and are undergoing post-exposure rabies treatment because while the chances of being exposed to rabies is very low, "it isn't zero".

Both are reported to be in good health with no signs of rabies.

Meanwhile the company which makes the product - Fresh Express - has issued a limited recall of the product line which is only sold at Walmart stores in the southeast of the US.

It says the report of "extraneous animal matter" prompted the precautionary recall of all salads from the same production run.

The remaining product has already been pulled from Walmart's shelves.

The CDC says there have been no other reported cases of bats found in salad.

The Florida Department of Health says bats and raccoons are the main wildlife sources of rabies.

Newshub.