Rabid bat-herdin' stick touches woman's mouth

Wow, this is kind of unfortunate. And gross, in a way:

A Sugar Land woman is set to get medical treatment after coming into contact with a rabid bat.

According to officials, the woman found the bat Oct. 28 outside of a home in the 1700 block of Country Club.

They said she touched the bat while sitting in her front yard, put the bat into a box with a stick. And then that stick touched her mouth.

Officials said she's set to get medical treatment, but they want to remind people to immediately notify officials if you see a bat.

It's a little hard to imagine exactly how this went down. Was the woman doing what we would probably do — a "Whoa, I just put a bat in a box with a stick!" dance — when she got a little too excited and sent the stick flying toward her mouth? Or maybe she calmly herded the critter into the box, then thoughtfully touched the stick to her lower lip while considering what to do next. Either way, it's a bad idea: Though rabies is transmitted through bites in most cases, you can also get it through contact with infected saliva and your mouth.

The woman is going to get medical treatment; as always, let local officials know if you think you've seen a rabid bat.