California Teacher Fatally Bitten by Bat in Classroom • Hollywood Unlocked

A middle school teacher died after being bitten by a bat in her classroom. The incident occurred in October when she tried to pick up the animal and remove it from her room.

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Leah Seneng, 60, was a beloved art teacher at Bryant Middle School in Dos Palos. According to PEOPLE, a bat swooped around her classroom and eventually bit her before flying away. Initially, she showed no signs of illness after the bite, but about a month later, her condition rapidly deteriorated. On November 18, her daughter rushed her to a local hospital, where she was placed in a coma.

Four days later, Seneng passed away. Rabies symptoms in humans typically appear four to eight weeks after exposure, explained Fresno County Deputy Health Officer Trinidad Solis. The disease is almost always fatal if a vaccine is not administered promptly.

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The Fresno and Merced County health departments released a statement assuring the public that there is no ongoing threat of rabies exposure in the area. Preventative care, including vaccines, has been administered to healthcare workers and individuals who had close contact with Seneng.

Her family launched a GoFundMe to help with funeral expenses and said she was known as a traveler who enjoyed life.

“She spent a lot of time in the mountains and loved to explore the world. She was a great explorer.”