SCHENECTADY Bat nip prompts rabies shots BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter
Union College officials are taking precautions after a visitor to the Raymond House dorm sustained a bite from a bat. Spokesman Phil Wajda said five students are receiving precautionary rabies vaccinations, after one reported being bitten by a bat on Jan 12. The student was bitten after she attempted to remove a bat from her friend’s dormitory room. “Obviously because the bat is now gone, there is no way to know if it was rabid,” Wajda said Monday. Wajda said the bitten girl’s friend is also receiving treatment because she was unsure if whether the bat had come in contact with her. Another three students living in the dorm decided to seek treatment after discovering apparent bite marks on their bodies; it was unclear whether any of the students were actually bitten by bats or any other creature. “Its better to be safe than sorry,” Wajda said. College officials hired a specialist to inspect the building for a possible infestation, but no other bats were discovered. Wajda said an insect specialist is also scheduled to comb the building. Human cases of rabies are extremely rare in the U.S., with usually one or two cases reported annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The most common source for human rabies is from bats; among the 19 cases reported between 1997 and 2006, 17 were associated with bats. Reach Gazette reporter Justin Mason at 395-3113 or .net
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