Do bats carry head lice?

Question

My sons found a dead bat and were playing with it (SO GROSS)! I heard they carry lice and I am so paranoid. Does anyone no if they do?

Answer 1

Bats, birds, and other mammels can carry lice, BUT it is normally a different type of lice than the type humans can get.
The lice that lives on mammels and birds can bite a human, but they normally cannot live on a human as they need a higher temperature to live. Many mammels and birds have a much higher body temperature, therefore, only certain types of lice can live on them, but cannot live on humans.

Answer 2

According to:
http://www.batcon.org/batsmag/v10n2-5.html

"Another widespread belief is that bats getting into your hair will cause infestations of "bugs," bedbugs, or lice. While bats have mites and a variety of ectoparasitic insects, lice have never been found on bats. Humans, however, have their own unique species of head louse (and a pubic louse, also). It would seem if a bat were to get into a person's hair, the bat would be the one far more likely to catch lice from the human!"

However, it doesn't seem like a good idea to play with a dead animal because the animal obviously died of SOMEthing. Maybe rabies?

Answer 3

i would be more concerned about rabies. Did he come in contact with any of the saliva. That would freak me out.

As far as lice go, people only get head lice from other people. Lice are species specific. Bats have their own lice but people wont' get them. (FYI, people also only get pinwoms from other people)