'I rescued a bat on holiday in Greece and it left me in hospital'

She wasn't even aware to begin with08:14, 14 Jul 2026A woman was bitten by a bat on holiday and ended up seeking rabies treatment thanks to AI.‌Laura Horton, 53, was on a two-week birthday trip to Lesbos, Greece, in May 2026 when she found a bat drowning in the swimming pool at the apartment complex where she was visiting a friend. She grabbed the animal from the water and let it sit in her hand for 10 minutes to "dry off" - unaware it had bitten her before flying away.‌Laura wanted to know what type of bat she had rescued, so she uploaded a photo of it sitting in the palm of her hand to Google Lens. As well as identifying it as a pipistrelle bat, the AI programme alerted her to seek medical treatment immediately due to the risk of contracting rabies from handling the animal.‌She also clai