Mom lets students touch dead bat

[CookAMH]

...that turned out to be diseased, according to this short article.

The students all had to get rabies shots. What would you do in this case? I know with rabies, most on here think the risk of rabies outweighs the risks of the vaccine. If my understanding of how one can get rabies is right, I'd probably do it (though would they let you refuse in this case?). However, does it usually require a scratch or wound to introduce rabies risk? Does the wipe suffice?

[Gitti]

I would not get the rabies shot if the child only touched the dead bat. The shots are very painful also. Poor kids.

People can get rabies if they are exposed to the saliva or nervous tissue of a rabid animal through a bite or scratch.
At the very least infected saliva has to get into a fresh wound of a human.

None of that happened.

[tammyswanson]

I picked up a dead mole when I was a toddler...I hope it didn't have RABIES too! Geez.

I remember hearing a DJ on the radio one time, he said that a chipmunk got in his house, and he actually caught it in his hands. Then the chipmunk bit him. He wasn't going to worry about it, but his wife was insistent that she call the wildlife authorities and tell them what happened (crazy, isn't it?) So then from what I remember, the guy said that the little chipmunk bit him, and the person on the end of the phone said he *had* to go to the hospital to get some sort of testing done! I'm not sure where this took place, but there must be some law down about it..not sure if it's like that everywhere or not.

I do know of this girl who I used to talk to...she said that she actually kissed a deer on the nose..the deer was sick too (which is why she could approach it apparently). The game warden was out there to shoot it..and asked if anyone had come in contact with the deer..and she said she kissed it. So then they made her go to the hospital and get all sorts of tests, stuck her with needles, the works! She was under 18 at the time so not sure if she would have been 'forced' to do anything.

Geez, I got bit by dogs, a mouse, clawed by a cat, bit by a black snake and a horse. Hmm. I wonder if animals don't like me?

[beanma]

Bats (along with raccoons and foxes) are vector animals for rabies in our area. Depending on the exact handling of the situation and animal I might do the shots. I know a number of families in our area who have had bats get into their homes and have subsequently had rabies shots. Apparently the bats' teeth are so small and sharp that most people don't even know they've been bitten when they have. Normally bats are not agressive at all, but if an animal is rabid its behavior changes. Our dog got into a tangle with a bat a couple of years ago and we did get rabies boosters for him. I did not come in contact with the bat and kept the dog away from the kids so we were all in the clear.

ETA: I'd be a pretty po'd parent if this happened at my kids' school.

[Kama82]

What on earth was she thinking let children touch a dead animal? What was the teacher thinking letting her do it?
They say the bat was "diseased" but they don't say specifically that it had rabies.

I guess my reaction would depend on the situation, could a rabies test be done quickly enough that the results would be known before it would be too late for the vaccine? If so I would wait, if not I really don't know what I would do, what a tough situation.

[cadydid]

The bat was confirmed rabid.

It's rare, but there have been cases of rabies spread through inhalation.

And I've had 5 vaccines for rabies. It's no more painful than any other shot. I wouldn't sign my kids up for the shots voluntarily, but I wouldn't risk the disease, either. I would, however, be completely ballistic at the mother and any other adults involved.

[grniys]

Wow... that's a tough one.

I know one thing, I'm not a sue-happy person but I'd be lawyering up over this. WTH was the school thinking? The teachers just allowed these presentations? Without parental permission? I'm just shocked. I'd be flipping out.

I don't know if I'd allow the shots... I'd have to look into rabies and bats and such. But my uninformed instinctual guess says I'd get my son vaxed for it. But, I don't know. I pray I'm never in that situation.

[Veronika01]

I teach my kids not to touch dead animals since we frequently find dead birds in our yard. I would be extremely upset if another parent encouraged my children to touch a dead animal. The school should know better and I guess they won't make that mistake again. As for the vax, if the animal wasn't bleeding, had no wounds and wasn't excreting anything AND if my kids don't have any sores on their hands and washed their hands afterwards, I would not get the vax for them.

[angie7]

Just touching the animal, no I wouldn't vaccinate. I would ream that mother a new A-hole for letting kids touch a dead animal, let alone a freaking bat!