Possibly disease ridden bats are dropping from trees and biting residents in Cairns as soaring temperatures in far North Queensland have prompted the animals to seek shelter on the ground.
Tropical Public Health Services Director Dr Richard Gair said six people have been either bitten or scratched by bats in the past week, in spite of a public health warning issued last week.
Queensland Health have urged residents to not pick up bats, which may be infected with the potentially deadly Australian bat lyssavirus.