Hundreds of people may have been exposed to rabies during their recent visits to cabins in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park.
Those who may have been exposed while staying in one of the eight bat-infested cabins at Jackson Lake Lodge live in dozens of states as well as other countries, the Associated Press (AP) reported on Friday.
As of Friday not one of the bats found in some of the dwellings tested positive for the virus, but health authorities are trying to warn those individuals.
An image shows the lodge:
Officials have been alerting people who may have been exposed if they were bitten or scratched by the creatures, noting sometimes such small injuries can go unnoticed.
The AP said the cabins have been closed since Grand Teton Lodge Company discovered there was a bat problem in late July.
“The cabins opened for the summer season in May after being vacant over the winter. Based on the roughly 250 reservations through late July, health officials estimated that up to 500 people had stayed in the cabins,” the report said.
The bats were found in the attic space over room numbers 516, 518, 520, 522, 524, 526, 528, and 530, according to People.
“Health officials were recommending prophylactic shots for people who fit certain criteria, such as deep sleepers who found a bat in their room, and children too young to say that they had seen a bat,” the AP article noted.
The state’s health officials said they do not have ongoing concern for visitor safety at the lodge, AP noted, adding, “That includes a Federal Reserve economic policy symposium Aug. 21-23 that takes place at Jackson Lake Lodge every summer.”
“Rabies is a virus that can spread to mammals, including people. Rabies mostly affects the central nervous system and leads to severe brain disease and death if medical care is not received before symptoms start,” the Grand Teton National Park website reads:
Rabies is generally transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal, either through a bite or scratch. Bats are of special concern for a rabies exposure because their scratches and bites are very small and may not be noticeable. The time from the initial exposure (bite or scratch) to the appearance of rabies symptoms can be weeks to months.
Emily Curren, Wyoming’s public health veterinarian, told the AP there were three to four dead brown bats from the cabins that tested negative.
The National Park service did not plan to exterminate the living bats, but devices on the building helped prevent them from re-entering the structures after going out to feed on insects.