Rabies vaccinations were recommended for 186 people who may have been exposed to a rabid bat during an overnight stay at the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in Omaha.
A camper woke up in the aquarium on July 4 to find a bat flying around her head, The Associated Press reported. No bites or scratches were found, but the zoo found seven wild bats in the aquarium.
The bats were euthanized and one tested positive for rabies, the Associated Press said
The zoo recommends rabies treatment for the 186 overnight guests and some employees. The zoo will pay for the footage and reimburse campers for the money, The Associated Press said.
The Omaha World-Herald said Douglas state and county health officials are urging campers who stayed at the aquarium on the nights of June 29, June 30, July 2 and July 3 to undergo rabies treatment.
Zoo officials said the bats were wild and not part of the zoo’s bat population. Overnight stays for youth groups will be relocated while the zoo figures out how the bats got into the building, The World-Herald said.
Animal health director Sarah Woodhouse said in a statement that bats only come out at night, so people who visit the zoo during the day don’t need rabies vaccinations.
“The bats we identified were small brown bats, a common Nebraska species of bat that anyone could find in their back yard or attic,” she said, according to The Associated Press. “It is not uncommon for a wild bat to be infected with rabies, so you should never touch a wild bat directly.”
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The Associated Press: “Nebraska Zoo Says 200 People May Be Exposed to Rabid Bats”
The Omaha World-Herald: “186 overnight campers in the Omaha Zoo who may have been exposed to rabid bats in the aquarium”
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