Mom brings rabid bat to school
Categories: Kids 5-7, Kids 8-11, Health & safety, Weird but true, Education
Show and tell at school is great. Kids love it because it is a chance for them to bring something personal from home and show it off to all their classmates. Choosing just what to bring for show and tell can be difficult, but favorite toys and vacation souvenirs are always good ideas. But if you are looking for bad ideas of what to bring for show and tell, look no further than this mom in Stevensville, Montana. She brought a dead bat to her kid's elementary school. And if that wasn't bad enough, that bat was dead because it had rabies.
Now, I don't know if it was really show and tell day for her two kids at Stevensville Elementary, but she did more than show and tell about it anyway. She allowed the students in one kindergarten class and four fifth grade classes to actually handle the dead creature.
According to Superintendent Kent Kultgen, her bad idea was well thought out. She presented the bat along with "good information" and even brought hand sanitizer for the kids to use after touching it. Maybe she thought this would be a really cool Halloween-related presentation, but clearly it was not. Although the risk of contracting rabies from touching the bat is fairly small, the school is taking no chances. About 90 kids are now receiving rabies shots just in case they came in contact with the bat's saliva.
Those shots could end up costing over $70,000, which will be paid for by the school's liability insurance. As bad as that is, the worst pain will be felt by the students themselves. Over the next few weeks, they will undergo a series of six shots to ensure that they are not infected with a potentially fatal neurological virus. Way to go, mom.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 8)
Jeff 10-04-2008 @ 1:26PM
Rabies is not something to mess around with. We had a bat in our house a month ago and when I caught it stupid me let the thing go without having it tested. Since bat bites are very small and don't always leave a mark, you have to be very careful. My four year old got the month long treatment of shots because of my mistake.
Moral of the story -- keep the bat and have it tested.
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nancy 10-07-2008 @ 9:40AM
i don't understand why the teacher didn't prevent the demonstration in the first place...
Jessica 10-08-2008 @ 5:27PM
The only way to test for rabies is to kill the host, and test it's brain... therefore if this bat was actually tested, and was positive... it would have been headless... and WHY would you take a headless creature to an elementary school? Not all wildlife is rabid!! Just because the species is known to POSSIBLY carry rabies, it doesn't meant that individual animal is!! Respect living creatures, don't kill them becasue you are afraid of them!! LEARN about them... you'll find their not as scarey as you thought!!
Here's a fact for you... you are more likely to encounter a DOMESTIC CAT that has rabies than any wildlife! Keep that in mind the next time you want to kill a defenseless creature, and let your child play with the neighborhood stray/outdoor cat!
Sherri 10-07-2008 @ 11:26AM
I live only 11 miles from the community in question of the rabid bat. It is very common to have them fly in early dusk here. We are a mountianous area, and many hiding places for them. For ANYONE to find a dead wild animal here is also common. I also agree caution for displaying a dead animal is common sense though. use of gloves..not allowing children to touch but observe should have been followed. Most people know that dead animals start to decompose as soon as they die harboring bacteria and viruses not to mention the reason of its death. Shame on all of them who allowed the children to touch.
Hollygo 10-07-2008 @ 12:24PM
How utterly stupid and irresponsible of this woman, and anyone who by now doesn't know that bats are the number one carrier and offender in the spread of rabies. I have known this since I was a child myself, and I just don't understand why everyone doesn't. Don't you people read anything informative or substantive anymore?
Bruce Wayne 10-07-2008 @ 1:32PM
Once when I was a kid i fell down this old well and there were all these bats and it scared me. Since then I've managed to use my fear of bats to instill fear in those that choose to prey on the weak.
B.W.
hall monitor 10-08-2008 @ 8:19PM
I always loved Show and Tell! "Show them a dead bat...Tell them they'll need rabies shots." Sounds great!
Hall Monitor
http://detentionslip.org
Jan Bay 10-04-2008 @ 10:53PM
Those poor kids and that poor woman. She will forever be known as the "bat lady" and the sins of the mother will undoubtedly be passed down to her children. Perhaps she should have given the kids latex gloves rather than anti-bacterial wash. Oh right, some people are allergic to latex. ;-)
There is no really GOOD small animal to take to show and tell if you are worried about rabies, is there? Not long ago a kid we knew was bitten by a chipmunk and had to take rabies shots. Are there any animals that are guaranteed not be rabid or is it a good rule never to touch anything small and furry?
And didn't some kids get really sick last year from something they caught from animals at a petting zoo?
Jan from http://www.unique-baby-gear-ideas.com/
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J 10-07-2008 @ 8:48AM
Rabies has vector species (species of origin) and depends on what region you live in. Here in NJ that species is raccoons. Cats (feral) are second highest on the list since they will get into occassional scuffles with raccoons...then pass it amongst eachother in fighting. Foxes, groundhogs and VERY RARELY opposums are other species that may contract it thru contact with a raccoon or feral cat. Smaller animals, such as squirrels, chipmunks, mice etc....would be extremely rare to contract rabies...since the animal PASSING the virus is much much larger and more likely to kill the smaller animal. Most squirrels, chipmunks, etc are going to die if attacked by a raccoon or cat (if the sick raccoon/cat could even catch them). So I really don't worry about small rodents...the chances of coming across an infected one is very very slim.
Robert 10-07-2008 @ 12:24PM
WHERE was the TEACHER???? I give NO blame to the parent..NONE!! This is ALL the Classroom Teacher's fault!!!!!!
lc 10-08-2008 @ 5:15PM
Instead of coming up with different ways (like latex gloves) that the kids could have handled a RABID BAT, how about adults start thinking. Take the kids to the zoo or the science museum or buy a book. And, as for the mother not knowing whether or not it was rabid, it was a dead bat for Pete's sake! It is common knowledge that certain species including bats, skunks and racoons for a few examples, are highly exposed to rabies and should never be handled by humans. As a matter of fact, no wild animal should be handled by humans. Exceptions? Professionals who know the risks, and have the appropriate training and safety precautions and equipment. I don't think grade school children or soccer moms typically fit the bill.
Karen 10-05-2008 @ 11:46AM
I think seeing the bat was ok, the problem came when the children were allowed to touch it. Had it been displayed in a clear box for the children to look at, instead of touch, there wouldn't have beena problem.
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lilly 10-07-2008 @ 2:14PM
i agree karen.
Shirley 10-08-2008 @ 11:22AM
Why do some of these comments have a reply link and some don't? I've never been on a blog site so this is new to me. You can respond to my question at srowden@sqmenergy.com if you want.
They're Stupid 10-07-2008 @ 6:40AM
Why are they taking 4 extra shots when the modern rabies series only requires 2? Are they getting rid of shouts that went out of date 8 yrs ago? Are they sensationalizing for the media? Is the media talking out of its hat again?
Or, are they just stupid?
I've handled SICK bats b4...and not gotten rabies......I think the kids are just suffering, from the schools "liability standpoint".
Shame on the school!
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Henri 10-07-2008 @ 6:41AM
Where was the teacher's oversight in this? She also should have known better.
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Lisa 10-07-2008 @ 7:04AM
Ok now people, you are more likely to get struck by lightening than catch rabies from a bat- so lets not go crazy and start killing bats. They serve a purpose. Educate yourselves before doing or saying something stupid. Nothing like Americans to wreak fear through the masses with their stories.
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Lisa 10-08-2008 @ 10:52PM
2 or 3 shots are normal for preventative purposes...for example for vets who might come in contact with rabid animals. Post-exposure for someone not previously vaccinated requires globulin (amount based on weight) and 5 vaccine shots.
j diamond 10-07-2008 @ 7:17AM
the school people should have stopped the presentation of the bat
if they were worried about it, they would have stopped it before all the k ids touched it
stupid school district
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scaddigs 10-07-2008 @ 7:19AM
If we believe someone has culpability in this situation, what about the TEACHERS, as well?
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