A California art teacher’s discovery of a bat in her classroom earlier this October has ended in tragedy. The teacher died from a rare but deadly rabies infection likely caught from the bat’s bite.
Officials at the Fresno County Department of Public Health confirmed the rabies death and suspected bat connection last week, though they did not disclose the person’s identity. A friend reportedly speaking for the family has since told media outlets that the victim was 60-year-old Leah Seneng, an art teacher at Byrant Middle School in Dos Palos. It’s the first recorded rabies case seen in the area in over 30 years, and one of the few seen annually in the U.S.
Seneng was reportedly exposed to the bat in mid-October, after the animal had somehow wandered its way into her classroom. Several weeks later, Seneng began to experience rabies symptoms and sought emergency care. On November 18, she was hospitalized, and four days later, on the 22nd, she died from her infection, officials said.
“I don’t know if she thought it was dead or what cause it was laying around her classroom and she was trying to scoop it up and take it outside. She didn’t wanna harm it. But that’s when, I guess it woke up or saw the light or whatever, it swooped around a bit and it took off,” family friend Laura Splotch told KFSN last week. Splotch has also started a GoFundMe campaign to cover the family’s funeral expenses, which has reached its goals.
Rabies can infect the brain and spinal cord of just about any mammal, humans included, and is spread through the saliva of infected animals, usually via a bite or scratch. It’s infamously nearly 100% fatal once symptoms appear, which can include aggression, disorientation, and a strong fear of water. But in humans, it can take weeks or longer for rabies to become apparent, during which post-exposure prophylaxis (a combination of the rabies vaccine and donated antibodies) can almost always prevent illness. Officials have not provided many specific details about the case, including whether Seneng was aware of the need to seek rabies treatment. But they have reached out to household contacts and health care workers caring for her to evaluate their potential exposure risk, some of whom have since received precautionary vaccination. Officials added that this case poses no general risk to the public, but that people should stay away from bats in general.
“We really want the public to know that protection is key to rabies prevention,” said Trininad Solis, deputy health officer for the Fresno County Department of Public Health, in a media briefing held last week.
Vaccination programs in pets and livestock, along with improved animal control, have helped make human rabies much less common nowadays, though there are still parts of the world where it remains endemic. According to officials, this is the first rabies case detected in Fresno since 1992. Fewer than 10 rabies deaths on average are reported annually in the U.S., though about 60,000 Americans are potentially exposed to it and are given preventative treatment every year. 2021 was an unusually strong year for rabies in the U.S., though still only five deaths were recorded.
Contrary to popular belief, bats are not immune to rabies. But they are the most commonly reported source of exposure to rabies in the U.S., accounting for 70% of human rabies deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One reason why is that bat bites and scratches often go unnoticed, since they don’t always leave a mark. That said, many other wild animals and unvaccinated pets can carry it as well. In addition to making sure that your pets are up-to-date on their vaccination, people can take simple steps to reduce their risk of catching and getting sick from rabies if exposed.
“The best way to avoid rabies in the U.S. is to keep your distance from wildlife. Never approach injured animals; instead, contact animal control for assistance, when needed,” the CDC states. “If you’ve been bitten or scratched, or if you’re unsure about whether or not you had any contact, consult a healthcare provider about whether you need treatment to prevent rabies.”
In the U.S, rabies is thought to be carried most commonly by bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes, as well as mongoose in Puerto Rico. More recently, scientists have discovered that rabies can even infect seals and potentially other marine mammals.
Read the full article here
