Rabies injections were recommended for 186 people who might have been exposed to a rabid bat during their overnight stay in Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in Omaha.
The carriage woke up on July 4th in the aquarium and found a bat flying around its head, Associated Press mentioned. No bites or scratches were found, but the zoo identified seven wild bats in the aquarium.
The Associated Press said the bats were mercilessly killed, and one of them tested positive for rabies
The zoo recommends that 186 overnight stays and some staff be treated for rabies. The Associated Press said the zoo is paying for the shots and refunding the two camps.
Omaha World Herald State and Douglas County health officials said campers who stayed at the aquarium on the nights of June 29, June 30, July 2 and July 3 were urged to receive rabies treatment.
Zoo officials said the bats were wild and not part of the zoo’s bat population. The World-Herald said the overnight stays of the youth groups will be moved to a different location while the zoo discovers how bats got into the building.
Bats only come out at night, so people who visited the zoo during the day don’t need rabies injections, Sarah Woodhouse, director of animal health, said in a statement.
“The bats we identified are the little brown bats, which are a common type of Nebraska bat that anyone can find in their backyard or attic,” she said. “It is not unusual for a wild bat to get rabies, which is why you should never touch a wild bat directly.”