Nearly 200 people possibly exposed to rabid bat at Nebraska zoo

OMAHA, Neb. — Nearly 200 people will undergo rabies treatments after potentially coming into contact with a rabid bat at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium.

According to zoo officials, a wild bat found inside the aquarium complex tested positive for rabies, prompting advisement to some 186 people who attended zoo camping events to seek treatment for the virus, KETV reported.

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The attraction hosted multiple overnight campouts in the Scott Aquarium during the Fourth of July weekend, and a camper awoke that Sunday to a wild bat near her head, zoo officials stated in a news release.

The camper was examined by an emergency medical technician employed by the zoo, but the EMT was unable to find any scratches or bite marks, the Omaha World-Herald reported.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the rabies virus infects the central nervous system, and “if a person does not receive the appropriate medical care after a potential rabies exposure, the virus can cause disease in the brain, ultimately resulting in death.”

The CDC recommends preventing the risk of contracting rabies by vaccinating pets, steering clear of wildlife and seeking medical care after potential exposures before symptoms start.

Because the wild bat in question at the aquarium flew away before it could be captured, the zoo’s veterinarian advised the camper to contact her personal doctor to discuss the risk of rabies exposure, KETV reported.

The zoo also confirmed to the TV station that it notified the Douglas County Health Department about the incident and that a team from the zoo located seven wild brown bats inside the aquarium. Only one of the bats tested positive for rabies, but all seven were euthanized.

The zoo is also offering guests refunds for the camping events and is paying for the post exposure rabies treatments, the TV station reported.

In addition, the zoo has moved campouts to other zoo venues until officials are confident that the bats have been removed and that any access points have been closed, a process which includes at least a full week of overnight observations with no bats present, the World-Herald reported.

“Bats are nocturnal and therefore not active — or awake — during the zoo’s normal operating hours,” Sarah Woodhouse, the zoo’s director of animal health, told the newspaper.

“The bats we identified were little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus), a common bat species in Nebraska that anyone could find in their backyard or attic,” she added.

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