A teacher in central California died of rabies after being bitten by a bat discovered in her classroom.
The woman died in a hospital in late November, approximately a month after being bitten by a “presumably rabid bat,” according to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), which did not name her.
The school district and the teacher’s friend, Laura Splotch, recognized her as Leah Seneng, age 60.
According to Splotch, Seneng was working at a Dos Palos school when she was bitten, which local media identified as Bryant Middle School.
Seneng was “a dedicated and compassionate educator,” according to a statement from the Dos Palos Oro Loma Joint Unified School District, as reported by the Associated Press.
“We were shocked to learn that Leah’s passing was related to contracting rabies, most likely from being bitten by a bat,” it added, noting that it was supporting the investigation of county health officials.
“We live and work in a community known to have bats and other wildlife around school grounds,” it said, adding that it would “continue to help educate our community” about their dangers.
Splotch told WWNY 7 News that Seneng, an art teacher and “lover of life,” attempted not to hurt the bat when it was discovered in her classroom.
“I don’t know if she thought it was dead or what because it was laying around in her classroom and she was trying to scoop it up and take it outside,” Splotch said.
Seneng was admitted to a hospital weeks later and d!ed on Nov. 22, Splotch added. “It was devastating to see her in that state, with all the machines hooked up and everything — it was pretty upsetting.”
Rabies is “a fatal but preventable viral disease,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It mainly affects the central nervous system, leading to “severe brain disease and death if medical care is not received before symptoms start.”
Symptoms may be flu-like, including weakness or pain, fever, headaches, and brain dysfunction such as disorientation and hallucinations.
