https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...oom-rcna182670
A Central California woman died from rabies after she was bitten by a bat, officials said Tuesday, in the first death from the saliva-passed disease in her county in more than 30 years.
Leah Seneng, 60, died Nov. 22 after the bat bit her in her classroom at Bryant Middle School in Dos Palos in Merced County on Oct. 14, friend and family spokesperson Laura Splotch told NBC News on Tuesday.
Seneng, an art teacher, saw the bat in her classroom and didn't think anything of helping it get on its way, Splotch said.Even when Seneng felt a light prick from the bat, it didn’t cross her mind that she might have been bitten and infected with a deadly disease, Splotch said.Seneng didn't feel any symptoms for weeks before she went to St. Agnes Medical Center on Nov. 18 and her condition quickly worsened, Splotch said.
Early symptoms of rabies could include fever or headaches, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Deterioration from rabies can often bring unbearable brain dysfunctions such as anxiety, confusion, agitation and hallucinations, the CDC says.
"Those who do encounter bats, if they are bitten, they tend to be small and sometimes unnoticeable," Black said. "So you just want to make sure that you are consulting with your medical provider if you do encounter one."
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