Recent bat discoveries have prompted the Iowa City-based University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics to send patient safety alert messages, according to The Gazette.
The most recent UIHC bat was found July 12 in the early afternoon. The hospital receives about 10 reports of bats per year, according to UIHC spokesperson Tom Moore. He did not specify how many bats have been found in the past six months or whether the number of bats is increasing.
"The reason for sending the patient safety alert message was to protect the health and safety of our patients, visitors and staff, which is our top priority," said Mr. Moore in an email to The Gazette.
The safety alert said anyone who finds a bat in the hospital should refrain from touching it and contact hospital epidemiology.