PEST EXPERT: `BATS GET A BAD RAP'

PEST EXPERT: `BATS GET A BAD RAP'

NEW YORK (Wireless Flash) -- Worried you might get bit by a bat this Halloween? Don't worry about the bite -- it's the other end that's the problem. According to environmental health expert Michael Deutsch, bat droppings can be deadly and cause more problems than bat bites. The danger comes from large build-ups of bat guano near homes which, if inhaled, can result in a deadly fungal disease known as "histoplasmosis." Deutsch says the risk from bat poop is so bad that exterminators must wear special respirators when removing bats from places like garages, barns or attics. It may sound frightening, but he still thinks bats are getting a bad rap as blood-sucking killers.