Rabid bat found inside Harford County elementary school, prompting warning to parents
The Harford County Health Department is warning parents after a bat found inside a Bel Air elementary school tested positive for rabies.
The rabid bat was found flying inside St. Margaret's Elementary School. It was submitted to the state laboratory on Sept. 1 and confirmed to be positive for rabies the following day.
The bat is one of two bats and more than 22 animals in Harford County that have tested positive for rabies this year, according to the health department.
Health officials are urging parents to talk with their children to determine whether they may have come into contact with the bat.
"Parents should have a discussion with their children to determine if an exposure may have occurred. If the child touched a bat or the bat flew at them, we would recommend contacting their primary medical provider or the health department," the department said in a statement.
No one in Harford County has been injured by a rabid animal this year, according to health officials.
The health department is also encouraging residents to take steps to keep wildlife out of their homes, including making sure doors close tightly, window screens are in place and any holes or openings leading from the outside are sealed.
Harford County residents on alert
The confirmed case inside an elementary school has some Harford County residents concerned about the presence of wildlife in the community.
"There's a concern for sure that bats are in the school system to begin with, but I don't know what kind of system they have in place to check what's going on inside the building," Harford County resident Tim McGee said.
"I have my grandkids who play outside and there's a lot of foxes and wildlife, so I'm concerned," added Harford County resident Anderson Lewis.
The county health department is also continuing to distribute oral rabies vaccines as part of efforts to control the spread of rabies among wildlife, including raccoons and coyotes.
Recent rabies cases across Maryland
The Harford County case comes amid several other confirmed rabies cases involving wildlife across Maryland.
Within the past two months, three people were attacked by beavers that later tested positive for rabies. Two incidents happened at Cunningham Falls State Park in Frederick County, while another occurred at Seneca Creek State Park in Montgomery County.
The first Cunningham Falls incident involved 13-year-old Dominick Cebula. His father, Jeff Cebula, said his son was looking at fish in a creek when a beaver latched onto his chest.
"He grabbed its head and a leg, and he tried to get it off of him, but at that point, he kind of felt that it was locked onto him," Jeff Cebula told WUSA9 in Washington, D.C. "And then it started shaking its head kind of like a dog would do."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has also reported an increase in rabies-related inquiries during the summer.
