It is worth noting that in November last year a bat handler in the UK died as a result of bat rabies. I must stress that this is an extremely rare occurrence and should not put anyone off the idea of taking an interest in bats, but it does happen. Bats have sharp teeth and will use them if they feel threatened – having been bitten by a bat that I found lying on the flagstones in some cloisters adjoining Salisbury Cathedral, I can vouch for that!

This url deals with the case of the man who died.
http://www.ndsc.ie/d509.HTML.html

There are other sites that give advice on handling bats and a number that talk specifically of rabies in American bats and precautions you should take when handling bats.

Bats are protected species in the UK and you are not allowed to disturb their habitat. This has proved quite a problem for people who have had a bat colony take up residence on their property.