A central California middle school teacher died after contracting rabies from a suspected bat bite, local health officials said.
The victim’s death was reported last Tuesday. The Fresno County Department of Public Health confirmed the victim was exposed to rabies in Merced County.
Friends identified the victim as Leah Seneng, 60, an artist and art teacher at Bryant Middle School in Dos Palos.
“We are raising funds for her family after her unexpected death for funeral expenses. We ask for privacy for her family during this difficult time and thank you in advance for any donations. Every little bit helps,” Laura Splotch wrote in a GoFundMe campaign.
Splotch told a local TV station that Seneng found the bat in her classroom in mid-October and was bitten after she picked it up to move it outside.
“She didn’t wanna harm it,” said Splotch. “But that’s when I guess it woke up or saw the light or whatever – It swooped around a bit, and it took off.”
Seneng didn’t experience any symptoms at first, Splotch said, but she fell seriously ill about a month later. Her daughter took her to the hospital on Nov. 18, where she was placed into a coma. She died four days later.
Health officials said they were conducting contact tracing with hospital and health care workers who cared for the victim.
Rabies is a deadly viral disease transmitted through the saliva of infected animals, typically via bites. Symptoms include fever, headache, excessive salivation, muscle spasms, paralysis and mental confusion.
