Gail Armstrong was given antibiotics and injections after it was confirmed the bat was carrying the potentially-fatal illness.

But she told BBC News Online the bite did not break her skin - making infection less likely.

Despite her ordeal, Ms Armstrong, from Morecambe Bay, Lancashire, continues to look after bats.

Bats are such fascinating animals - gentle and intelligent and have a lot of characteristics which make them just amazing

Gail Armstrong

She spoke as David McRae, from Guthrie in Angus, was waiting to hear if he had been infected with rabies after it is thought he had been bitten by another rabid bat.

It is still a mystery how the bat Ms Armstrong had been caring for developed rabies.

She had been looking after the young bat, which had a damaged wing, for seven weeks before it showed any sign it had rabies.

"The bat suddenly started showing a lot of aggression which is very unusual in British bats because they are quite calm and gentle," she said.

"That made me suspicious because I was familiar with the symptoms which would suggest rabies and I monitored her carefully."

Describing the moment the bat tried to sink its teeth into her, she added: "The aggression got worse and then she tried to bite me.

Rabies treatment

As its condition worsened, Ms Armstrong was forced to put the bat down.

She sent the creature to the authorities who confirmed the bat had rabies.

Ms Armstrong said she was not worried about the diagnosis because she was familiar with the correct forms of treatment.

"They started immediate treatment which has been very successful - I am fit and well," she said.

Despite the ordeal, Ms Armstrong still looks after bats.

"I love them," she said.

"They are such fascinating animals - gentle and intelligent and have a lot of characteristics which make them just amazing."