- Students at the University of Arizona receive rabies treatment
- The university denies knowing about the bats in the dormitories
- Rabies and bats are not associated for the first time
Students at the University of Arizona receive rabies treatment
Several students at Northern Arizona University (NAU) are being treated for rabies after bats were found in their dormitory, reports ABC 15.
"Several students were given medical attention after evaluating the extent of the infection and the recommendations of the Cook County Health and Hospitals System (CCHHS) and their treating physicians," a spokesperson for NAU stated.
The university immediately evacuated the students from the Mountain View dormitory and relocated them to other off-campus living facilities[1].
However, for some students, this became a real challenge. One of their neighbors was a much older man, which caused discomfort.
"It's not such a big problem, but it's strange. It's not a student, it's a person who works", said Julian Herrera, a sophomore.
The university confirmed that no background checks were carried out on the new neighbours at the time of the move, which also raised parental concerns. Matt Allison, the father of one of the students, expressed his dissatisfaction with the limited information provided by the university administration. During a visit to his dormitory, he noticed a bat hanging from the ceiling and jokingly called it "Bruce" after Batman.
M. Ellison claims that his son saw bats in the building a few weeks before the evacuation, which suddenly happened during the session. Parents faced additional costs and inconveniences, such as a lack of parking spaces and the inability to use prepaid meal subscriptions.
"The students paid USD 700 for a parking space, but now they don't have access to these spaces," Elison marveled.
The university denies knowing about the bats in the dormitories
A university spokesperson denied complaints about the lack of support, saying that the administration had informed the students about the refund procedure and had offered assistance during the move-in process. However, some parents remained unhappy, believing that the university had prior knowledge of the bat problem.
The incident also raised concerns about students' health, as living with bats increases the risk of contracting rabies and other diseases. For example, bat droppings can contain spores that cause serious respiratory diseases[2].
The university acknowledged that information about bat trapping came in September but said there were no reports of animals in residential areas then.
"Bats and other wild animals are common in Flagstaff. The students' move was organized due to the infiltration of bats into the sleeping areas, which only became known in September," the NAU spokesperson explained.
Rabies and bats are not associated for the first time
Similar concerns have been raised following a recent incident at a Goose rock concert on 12 September. It took place at the Salt Shed, an open-air venue in Illinois. The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) warned attendees that they may have contracted rabies from bats also seen at the concert.
"If you were at the concert and were bitten or scratched by a bat, or had direct contact with the animal, contact a doctor immediately to discuss preventive measures," CDPH recommended.
77 reminds us that the COVID-19 pandemic was initially blamed on bats. Then, the responsibility was shifted to these animals. Recently, there has been more and more talk about the fact that it was caused by a virus that escaped from a military laboratory.
