A California art teacher died of rabies after encountering a bat in her classroom

CNN
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A California art teacher died of rabies on November 22, about a month after she was apparently infected by a bat she found in her classroom.

According to her friend Laura Splotch, Leah Seneng, 60, may have been bitten when she picked up the bat to release it outside.

“She came to her classroom early in the morning, before the children came in. She found a bat on the ground, so she picked it up and took it outside,” Splotch told CNN. “I guess it bit her, or maybe she thought it scratched her or something, and then it went off. It flew away and she didn’t think anything of it, didn’t think it was sick or anything. So she picked it up from the classroom and then just went about her day and told her daughter about it.”

Public health officials emphasize the importance of prompt medical treatment after someone comes into contact with an animal that could transmit rabies. However, it is not clear why Seneng did not seek treatment at the time.

About a month later, in mid-November, Seneng developed a fever and her hands were shaking, Splotch said.

She was admitted to hospital on November 18 and placed in an induced coma the next day.

“She was in a coma for four days and that’s when we all got the call to say goodbye,” Splotch said.

The art teacher died a few days later at Saint Agnes Medical Center in Fresno after a visit from close friends. Splotch said Seneng’s husband was by her side and her daughter was in the room playing music from her mother’s playlist.

“She had a lot of Duran Duran on her playlist. … She had a lot of interests and liked a lot of world music,” Splotch said.

Seneng was an experienced hiker, a world traveler and a “really great artist,” said Splotch, who organized a GoFundMe to help Seneng’s family.

The school district remembered Seneng, who worked at Bryant Middle School in Dos Palos, as “a dedicated and compassionate educator,” and said, “Her absence will be deeply felt by her students, her colleagues and the entire Dos Palos school be felt.” District community.”

“We were shocked to learn that Leah’s death was related to exposure to rabies, most likely from a bat bite, and we are cooperating with the Merced County Health Department in the investigation,” said the Dos Palos-Oro Loma Joint Unified School District said in a statement. “We live and work in a community known to have bats and other wildlife on school grounds, and we will continue to help educate our community about the dangers associated with direct contact with wildlife, including bats. are connected. District staff are trained to deal with wildlife, including bats, and we urge everyone to report sightings to school leaders so they can take appropriate action.”

The California Department of Public Health announced in a press release that Seneng’s case was rabies.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the rabies virus is transmitted through direct contact with an infected animal, including through saliva or brain and nervous system tissue. The virus attacks the central nervous system and causes a brain disease that can lead to death if left untreated.

According to the CDC, most rabies infections in the United States are caused by bats. Strange behaviors—such as having trouble flying, being active during the day, or loitering in a house or on the ground—are potential signs that a bat has rabies. Other wild animals such as skunks, foxes and raccoons can also transmit the virus.

It’s best to never touch a club. However, if you think you have been scratched or bitten by a bully, wash the injury immediately with soap and water and seek medical attention.

“Bat bites can be incredibly small and difficult to see or detect. “It is important to wash your hands and check for open wounds after touching a wild animal, and to seek medical attention immediately if bitten,” Dr. Tomás J. Aragón, director of the California Department of Public Health and state health officer, shared in the news. “It is always safest to leave wild animals alone. Do not approach, touch, or attempt to feed animals you do not know.”

Some experts recommend calling your doctor after any encounter with a wild animal, even if you don’t think you were bitten.

Although deaths are rare—fewer than 10 people per year die from rabies in the U.S.—about 60,000 people receive post-exposure prophylaxis after exposure to rabies each year.

Post-exposure treatment is available in most emergency rooms. For people who have not received a rabies vaccine, treatment includes a single dose of immunoglobulins and four doses of the vaccine over two weeks.