Art Teacher, 60, Dies of Rabies After Bat Bites Her in Classroom: ‘She Was Trying to Scoop It Up’

A California middle school teacher has died after she was bitten by a bat inside her classroom.

Leah Seneng, 60, was wounded after she unexpectedly found the animal in her classroom at Bryant Middle School in Dos Palos back in October, Laura Splotch, Seneng’s friend told local ABC affiliate KFSN.

“I don’t know if she thought it was dead or what caused it to be lying around her classroom and she was trying to scoop it up and take it outside,” Splotch told the outlet.

“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,” Splotch said of Seneng’s interaction with the bat.

After she was bitten, Splotch said that Seneng did not show any initial symptoms of rabies – however, her condition severely changed around a month later when she fell ill and was admitted to the hospital by her daughter, and placed in a coma.

On Nov. 22, four days after she was brought to the hospital, Seneng tragically died, reported KFSN and The Fresno Bee.

Following Seneng’s death, the Fresno County Department of Public Health said there is currently no public threat regarding the potential for rabies exposure in the area. The Fresno County and Merced County health departments continue to investigate, KFSN said.

A Fresno County representative confirmed to KFSN and The Fresno Bee that those exposed to Seneng have received medical attention. “To date, there has been vaccines administered to both health care workers and household contacts,” the rep said.

“As with any disease, close contacts/family members are notified and offered preventative care as they’re identified,” a Mecerd County health official told The Fresno Bee.

Fresno County Deputy Health Officer Trinidad Solis added to the outlet that it typically takes four to eight weeks for symptoms of rabies to show in humans. If a vaccine is not administered before that time, then it is almost always fatal, he added.

“Usually the symptoms quickly progress,” Solis told The Fresno Bee.

Seneng’s family has set up a GoFundMe to cover her funeral expenses following “her unexpected death.”

“We ask for privacy for her family during this difficult time,” the fundraiser added. Currently, $1,837 has been raised from a $5,000 goal.

Speaking about the memory of her friend of 15 years, Splotch told KFSN, “She was a lover of life. She spent a lot of time in the mountains where her mother lived. She loved to explore the world, she’s a great explorer.”