A central California trainer died final month after she was bitten by a bat inside her classroom that presumably had rabies, officers and the lady’s good friend mentioned.
In the wake of Leah Seneng’s demise on Nov. 22, public well being officers are warning the general public in regards to the risks of bats, that are the commonest supply of human rabies within the U.S. Even although fewer than 10 individuals within the nation die from rabies every year, it’s virtually all the time deadly if not handled shortly.
Seneng, 60, discovered a bat in her classroom in mid-October, her friend Laura Splotch told KFSN-TV. She tried to scoop it up and take it exterior but it surely bit her, Splotch mentioned.
Seneng didn’t instantly have signs of rabies however she fell in poor health weeks later and was taken to the hospital, the place she was put right into a medically-inducted coma and died days later, Splotch instructed the TV station.
The Dos Palos-Oro Loma Joint Unified School District, in an announcement, known as Seneng “a devoted and compassionate educator.”
“We have been shocked to be taught that Leah’s passing was associated to contracting rabies, most definitely from being bitten by a bat and we’re cooperating with the Merced County Department of Public Health on their investigation,” the assertion mentioned. “We stay and work in a group recognized to have bats and different wildlife round faculty grounds, and we’ll proceed to assist educate our group concerning the risks related to coming into direct contact with any wild animal, together with bats.”
Merced County confirmed the rabies publicity however, attributable to privateness legal guidelines, didn’t launch the deceased’s title. The California Department of Public Health confirmed that the sufferer died after contracting rabies.
In Santa Barbara County, Public Health Department officers mentioned 25 bats within the county have been examined for rabies to this point this yr and 5 have been confirmed to be constructive.
Health officers say rabies assaults the mind and might trigger an animal to behave unnaturally. These behaviors embody:
- A bat that may’t fly or has been caught by a canine or a cat
- A wild animal that appears unusually tame or unafraid to strategy individuals
- An animal out throughout the day that’s often energetic solely at night time
- A pet that has hassle strolling, consuming, or consuming, or that has a change in character or the way it acts
- A usually calm animal that acts in an agitated or aggressive method
If you come throughout an animal that you just suspect may have rabies, name Santa Barbara County Animal Services at 833-422-8413.
In San Luis Obispo County, contact Animal Services at (805) 781-4400.
