Virginia doctor dreams a mouse is trying to get into her mouth and reaches up in her sleep. Then she feels something: ‘Burrow between my lips’

Waking up to a wild animal in your house is usually a rough way to start the day. However, one Richmond, Virginia, doctor just experienced the worst version of that scenario. Dr. Krista Edelman recently went viral on Instagram and TikTok after sharing the chilling story of how a bat attempted to crawl into her mouth while she was asleep. With over 1.2 million views, her story left people feeling more than a little uneasy.

Edelman told her viewers, “So, brace yourself, this is a bat PSA. So, this morning I was asleep, and I had a dream that there was a little mouse trying to get into my mouth.” Half asleep, she reached up to her face. She claimed, “I touch something that is kind of slimy and a little hairy and cool, and I immediately somehow knew it was a bat. This bat was legitimately trying to burrow between my lips into my mouth.”

She stated in confusion, “I have no idea. This is not normal. Never heard of anything like this. Never seen bats in my house.” Edelman stated that she reacted immediately, “I grabbed this bat and threw it across the room, and I screamed, and I told my husband there was a bat trying to get into my mouth. So, my husband ran and got a T-Ball bat. And as a physician I knew we were supposed to try to catch this bat so that, uh, it can actually be tested and see if there are rabies in its brain.”

A Medical Emergency

With that realization, Edelman noted that she called for a “pause.” They then changed tactics. She said, “My husband put on some gloves, and we got a bucket, and somehow he caught this bat.” She then told her viewers that Animal Control Services came to collect the bat for testing, and that the results would take about a week.

Edelman gave a health update: “Because I had direct contact and my husband also, potentially, um, I just came to Saint Mary’s ER. And uh, they actually gave me the immunoglobulin because I’ve never been vaccinated against rabies before in addition to the rabies vaccine.” 

She then explained why it was so important to be proactive. Edelman reminded her followers that this is a critical step because rabies has a very slow rate of inoculation in humans. Symptoms can sometimes take one to three months to appear, which is why being proactive is so important. However, for one family, exposure to bats turned into a $50K nightmare.

Edelman wryly noted, “Moral of the story is, uh, get your exterminator to come out and check your attic and your chimneys especially if you live in an old house.”

The internet’s reaction was intense. On TikTok, one user wrote, “New fear unlocked. I was already scared of bats but IN YOUR MOUTH??” Another user added, “DEAR GOD!!!! I LIVE IN AN OLDER HOUSE IN RICHMOND TOO!!!! I saw some in my neighborhood walking a few night ago!!!! You poor thing!!!” 

On Instagram, the comments were just as dramatic. One person stated, “I would have thrown my entire mouth away.” Another remarked, “There isn’t enough toothpaste in the tube! I would need a total mouth replacement!!!”

According to Summit Environmental Solutions, bats are nature’s pest control, but they don’t exactly make for great house guests. They are nocturnal and often seek out places like attics, chimneys, and wall crevices to roost during the day. If you think you might have an infestation, look for bat guano or urine on the exterior of your house, as these are strong indicators of where they might be entering.

Summit notes that both state and federal laws protect bats. In Virginia, there are 16 species of bats, and many are endangered or protected non-game species. This means it is illegal to kill them, use poisons, or even perform exclusion measures during certain times of the year, such as mid-May through early August, when young bats might still be unable to fly. 

Summit emphasizes that if you find evidence of bats, you should always contact a licensed professional to handle the situation humanely. They note that bats generally find their way into homes through existing holes or maintenance issues, sometimes squeezing through openings as small as 3/8ths of an inch. For instance, a woman recently found a bat in the toilet.

Per Summit, you should check your attic and chimney for gaps in older houses. While the risk of disease from bats is relatively low compared to other threats, rabies and histoplasmosis are real concerns that should be taken seriously. They advise that if you are ever exposed to a bat, seek medical attention immediately.