The Douglas County Health Department is issuing a warning about a rabid bat found on the grounds at Morton Middle School last Friday. The live bat was found just after 3 p.m., at dismissal time and it is not known how long it had been there. The bat was sent to a state lab for testing and the results came back positive for rabies.
There was a small group of students seen near where the bat was found. Officials with Health Department recommend that anyone who touched, kicked or was touched by the bat in any way should contact their health care provider as soon as possible regardless of whether they were bitten.
Those who had exposure to the bat should begin post-exposure prophylaxis for rabies as the disease can be deadly.
Both the Health Department and Omaha Public Schools are working to address the situation.
The health department says that bat bites can be so slight they may go unnoticed.
The CDC reports the rabies virus infects the central nervous system and can cause disease in the brain and death. Early symptoms include fever, headache, weakness or discomfort. Other symptoms can include insomnia, anxiety, confusion, slight or partial paralysis, excitation, hallucinations, agitation, an increase in saliva, difficulty swallowing and fear of water. Death can occur within days of the onset of these symptoms.