A California teacher dies of rabies a month after being bitten by a bat in her classroom

A central California woman died of rabies after being bitten by a bat, officials said Tuesday. This was the first death from the saliva-borne disease in her county in more than 30 years.

Leah Seneng, 60, died Nov. 22 after the bat bit her on Oct. 14 in her classroom at Bryant Middle School in Dos Palos, Merced County, Laura Splotch, a friend and family spokeswoman, told NBC News on Tuesday .

Seneng, an art teacher, saw the bat in her classroom and didn’t think to help it get out, Splotch said.

“She found it in her classroom before school started and being a kind-hearted person, she didn’t want to hurt any animal. So she just picked it up to take it outside,” Splotch said. “And then she thought it had just scratched her and then it just flew away.”

Even when Seneng felt a slight sting from the bat, it didn’t occur to her that she might have been bitten and infected with a deadly disease, Splotch said.

And while the sight of a bat indoors is not uncommon in this part of rural California, Merced County Health Department spokeswoman Megan Black urged caution when people come into close contact with a bat.

“Don’t get involved,” Black said Tuesday. “Don’t interact with it. Report this to your animal control and notify your doctor” if there is contact with the animal.

Seneng didn’t experience any symptoms for weeks before she went to St. Agnes Medical Center on Nov. 18 and her condition quickly deteriorated, Splotch said.

Early symptoms of rabies could include fever or headache, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Aggravation from rabies can often lead to excruciating brain dysfunction such as anxiety, confusion, agitation and hallucinations, according to the CDC.

“Those who encounter bats and are bitten tend to be small and sometimes unnoticed,” Black said. “So you just want to make sure that if you encounter one, you consult your doctor.”

According to Deputy Health Officer Dr. Trinidad Solis’ rabies death was the first in Fresno County since 1992.

“Rabies is 100% preventable if those affected seek medical attention immediately,” Solis told reporters last week, shortly after Seneng’s death.

Seneng was kind and creative and had a dark sense of humor, according to Splotch, who insisted her friend found a way to laugh about death from rabies.

“It’s still very shocking to think that she’s gone because of something so random,” said Splotch, 61, a home health aide.

Splotch imagined Seneng probably laughing darkly and quipping, “That wasn’t on my death bingo card.”

Seneng is survived by her husband and daughter. Splotch said she enjoyed her summer vacation, which included a trip to her husband’s native Bali.