Queenslanders warned to steer clear of bats to avoid potentially life-threatening virus

Queenslanders have been warned to stay clear of disease-carrying bats as the risk of bites and scratches soars through the summer months.

It’s currently breeding season for flying foxes across the state’s far north.

This increases the chances of people having close encounters with the winged mammals and exposing themselves to a dangerous virus, Queensland Health says.

“Right now, there is a lot of bat activity in people’s backyards, local parks, and rainforest areas,” Cairns public health officer Annie Preston-Thomas said on Friday.

People are urged not to handle the animals, which are known to carry the life-threatening but rare Australian Bat Lyssavirus.

“It’s is an infection similar to rabies, which can be transmitted…