Mom Brings Dead Bat to School, Students to Get Rabies Shots
Friday, October 03, 2008 |
FoxNews.com
STEVENSVILLE, Mont. — A parent brought a dead bat to Stevensville Elementary School earlier this week, and now health officials are evaluating which students may need rabies shots.
Stevensville Superintendent Kent Kultgen says the woman brought the dead bat to school Monday morning and allowed kindergarten and fifth-grade students in her children's classes to touch the dead animal.
While the risk of contracting the disease from the dead bat are extremely low, Ravalli County health officials are trying to determine who may have touched the animals' mouth to decide who may need the monthlong series of vaccines.
Rabies is a potentially fatal neurological virus that can be spread through saliva.
Kultgen says the school district's insurance policy will cover the cost of the shots, which could be up to $800 per student.
