‘Devastated’ pals of college instructor killed by rabid bat reveal surprising rabies signs she ignored

The friends and family of a California school teacher who died after being bitten by a rabid bat have detailed her tragic final days.

Leah Seneng, 60, was attacked by the creature as she tried to move it from her classroom on the morning of October 14 before lessons started.

It was only a small nip and the art teacher carried on teaching as normal at Byrant Middle School for more than a month before the rabies virus took hold.

Laura Splotch, one of Ms Seneng’s longtime friends, told DailyMail.com the teacher ‘started displaying flu-like symptoms’ which became severe by November 18.

Ms Seneng’s daughter drove her to the ER where she deteriorated rapidly and was put in a medically-induced coma for four days.

By this point could only communicate through ‘hand squeezes’ and ‘eye movements’, Ms Splotch said. ‘By Friday, the family was told she wasn’t going to make it though the night.’

Ms Splotch said she received a message from Ms Seneng’s daughter telling her about Ms Seneng’s impending death – that’s when she drove to see her friend one last time.

Ms Splotch said it was ‘devastating’ to see Ms Seneng’s condition deteriorate, ‘with all the machines hooked up and everything, it was pretty upsetting and scary.’ 

She added that what made it so shocking was that ‘it seemed quite sudden, to me as her friend.’

‘However, for her family, they had seen her getting sicker and sicker, not knowing what was going on until it was too late.’

Ms Splotch added: ‘Leah was an experienced outdoorswoman and world traveler. It just didn’t occur to her that the little bat bite was dangerous. 

‘This is why I believe it’s important for others to note that any animal bite could contain rabies and it is essential to get treatment right away.’

Ms Splotch is grateful she got to see her friend before she passed away. 

‘It was so difficult to see her that way. Leah was in a coma but we were told she could hear us but couldn’t communicate. 

‘My friend said she felt Leah squeeze her had when she spoke to her and I saw Leah’s eyes flutter when I spoke to her.

‘We hoped she knew we were there for her. We left around 7:45pm and got the call she passed at 9:30pm. I’m grateful I got to say goodbye.’

Rabies, if caught early, can be treated with a vaccine. But if the virus is able to take hold it has a near-100 percent death rate.

The virus enters the body through an open wound, usually from an infected animal’s bite or scratch. 

It then replicates in muscle cells near the infection site, then travels along nerves to the central nervous system.

This process can take anywhere from a week to a month. But as the disease worsens, paralysis sets in, starting with the limbs, then the brain and other organs.

The infection almost always results in coma and death within a few weeks after the onset if a vaccine is not administered promptly.

Detailing the morning her friend was bitten, Ms Splotch said: ‘I don’t know if she thought it [the bat] was dead or what cause it was laying around her classroom and she was trying to scoop it up and take it outside. 

‘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.’

Ms Splotch said that even when Ms Seneng was severely ill on November 18, she didn’t want to go to hospital and cause a fuss.

‘Even then she didn’t want to go to the hospital, but her daughter insisted and drove her to the Saint Agnes Medical Center Emergency Room in Fresno,’ she said.

‘She really wasn’t doing well at this point. That day she tested positive for rabies and the next day the doctors put her in an induced coma.’

The rabies virus is transmitted to humans through the saliva of infected animals, including bats, raccoons, skunks, foxes, and coyotes. 

Following the death, California Department of Public Health issued a warning to locals in the area.

The agency’s director and state public health officer Dr. Tomás J. Aragón said: ‘Bites from bats can be incredibly small and difficult to see or to detect. 

‘It is important to wash your hands and look for any open wounds after touching a wild animal, and to seek immediate medical care if bitten. 

‘It is always safest to leave wild animals alone. Do not approach, touch, or try to feed any animals that you don’t know.’

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Ms Seneng’s family during this time.

Rabies kills around 70,000 people worldwide every year, though most deaths are concentrated in countries with inadequate public health resources, such as wide-reaching vaccination programs for people and animals.

In the US, fewer than 10 cases of rabies occur each year. 

The vaccine can be given after a person is exposed and is 100 percent effective if administered within 48 hours of exposure.

A bat’s fangs are incredibly small and someone bit by the animal may not be able to see the mark, so doctors recommend anyone who has come into contact with a bat receive a rabies vaccine.

While common beliefs about rabies may lead people to think all infected animals are aggressive or show signs of frothing at the mouth, any changes in an animal’s usual behavior can be early indicators of rabies.

A bat that is active during the day, found on the ground, or seems unable to fly should be treated with caution.

Worldwide, dogs are the leading carriers of rabies. But in the US, around 70 percent of rabies infections arise from exposure to bats.