An 86-year-old man is being treated for rabies after being bitten by a bat wedged between the back of his iPad and its case.
Roy Syvertson, from New Hampshire in the US, told WMUR-TV that he had been using the tablet for about an hour before the creature popped its head out and nipped him.
The pensioner said it felt like a bee sting at first, adding: “I looked, and the bat was coming out of here, between the cover and the back of the pad.”
“And then I got up, still squeezing it, which I’m sure he wasn’t happy about, and I took him outside.”
Roy Syvertson had been using the tablet for an hour before realising he had been bitten
The next morning, Mr Syvertson said the bat was still there and alive, but he later discovered that it died later that night.
“Then I knew I might have a problem,” Mr Syvertson said.
The rabid bat popped its head out and nipped Mr Syvertson
Concerned the bat might be infected with rabies, he called the New Hampshire Department of Fish and Game.
He was instructed to go to hospital to be immediately tested, and it later turned out that the bat was rabid.
Doctors told Mr Syverston that he will be fine, though it remains a mystery how the bat got into his house and into the iPad case.
“It will remain a mystery, and my joke of, ‘He probably knew my password’ won’t last forever. That won’t be funny for a long time,” Mr Syverston said.
Roy Syvertson had been using the tablet for an hour before realising he had been bitten
If left untreated, rabies can lead to brain disease and death as the virus attacks the central nervous system.
Early symptoms include fever, headache, weakness and discomfort, and the disease can also cause hallucinations and difficulty swallowing.
All mammals can carry rabies, but it is most common in dogs, bats, raccoons and foxes.
According to the NHS, post-exposure treatment involves cleaning and disinfecting the wound, a course of the rabies vaccine and in some cases, a medicine called immunoglobulin.
