A Field-Mouse Dream Turned Into a Real-Life Bat Nightmare
What in the Batman?! Dr. Krista Edelman, a gastroenterologist in Richmond, Virginia, says she woke from a dream about a cute little field mouse only to discover that the thing trying to get into her mouth was very real — and very much a bat.
Edelman said she was half asleep in her nearly 100-year-old home when she reached toward her face, still thinking she was dreaming. Then she felt something cool, hairy and unmistakably alive.
According to Edelman, the bat was trying to burrow between her lips. She grabbed it, threw it across the room and started screaming that there was a bat in her mouth. A peaceful morning this was not.
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BAT NIGHTMARE, REAL-LIFE PSA
The story is wild, but the takeaway is serious: bat encounters can require immediate rabies guidance even when no bite is obvious.
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The Bat Was Caught So It Could Be Tested for Rabies
Once the initial panic passed, Edelman quickly researched what to do and learned that the bat should be captured rather than killed so public-health officials could test it for rabies. She and her husband managed to contain the animal in a bucket.
She then called a friend who specializes in infectious disease. His reaction got her attention: he urged her to seek treatment immediately rather than wait around to see what happened.
Why a Bat Encounter While Sleeping Gets Taken So Seriously
At the emergency department at St. Mary’s Hospital, where Edelman works, doctors began preventive rabies treatment. The concern with bats is that their teeth are tiny enough that a bite or scratch can be difficult to notice — especially if the encounter happens while someone is asleep.
Rabies is preventable when post-exposure treatment is given before symptoms begin, but once clinical symptoms appear, the disease is almost always fatal. That is why health officials advise people who wake up in a room with a bat to contact local public-health or medical professionals promptly rather than assume no visible bite means no exposure.
There was good news in Edelman’s case: the bat ultimately tested negative for rabies. She shared the story anyway because even as a physician, she said the encounter humbled her about how little she initially knew about what to do next.
The Dream About a Mouse Was Somehow the Least Weird Part
So yes, the headline sounds like pure nightmare fuel — because it is. But Edelman’s viral story also landed with a genuinely useful message: when bats and sleeping humans cross paths, treat the situation seriously and get professional guidance fast.
Watch Dr. Krista Edelman Explain Waking Up With a Bat at Her Mouth
The supplied news clip follows Edelman’s account of the Richmond encounter, including the rabies precautions she took afterward.
Source: Krista Edelman, WTVR and Virginia public-health reporting.
