CA Woman Dies After Being Bitten By Rabid Bat

CALIFORNIA — Public health authorities are warning Californians to avoid contact with wild or unfamiliar animals following the death of a woman who was bitten by a rabid bat, according to the state.

Last week, the California Department of Public Health announced that a Fresno County resident had died in late November after being bitten by a bat in Merced County.

Officials did not release the woman's name, but friends and family identified the resident as 60-year-old Leah Seneng, an art teacher at Bryant Middle School in Dos Palos, The Fresno Bee reported. A GoFundMe campaign to pay for Seneng's funeral expenses has raised more than $6,000.

Laura Splotch, who is fundraising for Seneng's funeral expenses, told the Fresno Bee that Seneng was bitten in her art classroom.

She told ABC30 News that Seneng spotted the bat in the classroom in mid-October, tried to move it and was bitten.

"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," Splotch told ABC30. "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."

It wasn't until about a month later that the art teacher felt sick, and went to the hospital, Splotch told the news outlet.

Seneng reportedly died four days after arriving at a Fresno County hospital on Nov. 18. Samples collected at the hospital were submitted to the state’s Viral and Rickettsial Disease Laboratory where evidence of rabies was confirmed, CDPH said.

According to California's public health officials, there are fewer than 10 human deaths associated with rabies each year nationwide; thousands successfully receive treatment following a bite or other direct contact with rabid animals.

Although officials urge that rabies is rare, it is a fatal disease that requires immediate medical attention after a bite or exposure. The viral disease is deadly for humans if medical attention isn't received before symptoms arise.

Officials say bites from bats are not always obvious and do not always leave a mark, making them difficult to spot. According to the CDC, they are the most commonly reported animals to have rabies.

“Bites from bats can be incredibly small and difficult to see or to detect. It is important to wash your hands and look for any open wounds after touching a wild animal, and to seek immediate medical care if bitten,” said CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer, Dr. Tomás J. Aragón. “It is always safest to leave wild animals alone. Do not approach, touch, or try to feed any animals that you don't know."

Symptoms can appear three to eight weeks after a bite from an infected animal. Reports say Seneng was bitten in October.

There is currently no treatment for rabies once symptoms appear. Symptoms include anxiety, confusion, insomnia, agitation, a fear of water, seizures and hallucinations, according to the CDC.

Here are the signs to look out for to determine whether an animal has rabies, according to CDPH:

• A bat that can’t fly or has been caught by a dog or a cat.
• A wild animal that seems unusually tame or unafraid to approach people.
• An animal out during the day that is usually active only at night.
• A pet that has trouble walking, eating, or drinking, or that has a personality change or how it acts.
• A normally calm animal that acts in an agitated or aggressive manner.