YouTuber Harun Köybaşı was bitten by a bat: It created concern on social media

Footage of the moment when YouTuber Harun Köybaşı, known for his animal content, was bitten by a bat, spread rapidly on social media platforms. The fact that bats were at the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic has again led to concern about the disease among users.

The incident experienced by Köybaşı, who was bitten by a bat while trying to join a trend on social media, brought the deadly pathogens carried by bats and the risks they pose to human health to the public agenda again.

IT IS ESTIMATE THAT THE INCIDENT HAPPENED IN INDONESIA

Although the location where the footage was shot has not yet been officially confirmed, the vehicle license plates in the video and Köybaşı's past contents indicate that the incident took place in Indonesia. Regional health data show high levels of rabies and lyssavirus circulation in Indonesia and especially on the island of Bali.

Although rabies cases in humans in the country are mainly caused by dog ​​bites, the presence of viruses that can cause fatal brain inflammation in bat species in the region has been confirmed by field research.

WHO: BAT BITE IS IN 'CATEGORY III' HIGHEST RISK GROUP

Bats are known for their capacity to harbor and transmit deadly viruses without adversely affecting their own health. The difficulty of detecting bite marks due to the extremely small size of the tooth structures is among the factors that increase the risk of life.

The World Health Organization (WHO) evaluates all contact and bites with bats as "Category III", the highest risk category. According to WHO guidelines; After such contact, it is critical to wash the wound with soap and water for at least 15 minutes without delay, and then immediately start rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin treatment.

WHAT IS THE SITUATION IN Türkiye? WHAT DO EXPERTS SAY?

While the images spread on social media create anxiety among citizens in Turkey, experts and scientific data state that there is no official proven case of rabies transmission from bats to humans in Turkish records.

However, researchers remind that the absence of a recorded case does not mean that bats do not pose a carrier risk, and warn that direct contact with bats in the wild should be strictly avoided.