I'm headed to West Africa over the summer, and I was wondering if anyone has heard anything about bats biting through hammock fabric. The travel doc I talked to had no idea, but told me that I should get the rabies shots if I wake up in a room with a bat, since the bites can be painless and unnoticeable. I won't be sleeping in a room though, just an open-walled shelter with a roof. I assume any rabid bat would just fly off after its night-time snack. It's monsoon season so I won't be using a pad and will probably have bare skin up against the hammock (sprayed with permethrin so the mosquitoes don't get me).
Considering that rabies is 100% lethal if you don't get treatment quickly, I'm kind of worried.
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