Fresno County teacher dead from rabies was bit in classroom, friend says

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - A person of the pistillate who died from a rabies wound successful Merced County said the wound happened wrong her friend's Dos Palos classroom. 

Laura Splotch said 60-year-old Leah Seneng was an creation teacher astatine Bryant Middle School. Splotch said Seneng was spot by a bat backmost connected Oct. 14, earlier she died successful precocious November. 

"It was scary, she was hooked up to a batch of machines, and her humor unit was going down slowly," she said, recalling immoderate of the past moments she spent with her person wrong a Fresno County hospital. 

Seneng died connected Nov. 22 aggregate weeks aft she reported getting spot by the bat. 

"She came into her schoolroom archetypal happening successful the greeting and recovered a bat lying connected the floor," she said. "She picked it up and took it outside, doing what she thought was a bully happening for it, and it turned and spot her and she didn't deliberation thing of it."

She said her person went days without symptoms and didn't deliberation she needed attraction aft getting bit. But that changed successful November erstwhile Splotch said Seneng started having shaky hands and began moving a fever. 

Eventually, she went to the hospital. Splotch said she spent 5 days determination and spent her past days earlier passing distant successful a coma. 

"She'd worked retired determination for 7 years. She loved her students. She loved her classroom. She loved being a teacher," Splotch said.

The Dos Palos Ora Loma Joint Unified School District released a connection regarding the incident, which reads:

We were saddened to larn of the passing of Leah Seneng, a agelong clip teacher successful our district.  She was a dedicated and compassionate pedagogue and her lack volition beryllium profoundly felt by her students, her colleagues, and the full Dos Palos School District community. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences spell retired to her household and loved ones during this hard time.  

We unrecorded and enactment successful a assemblage known to person bats and different wildlife astir schoolhouse grounds, and we volition proceed to assistance amended our assemblage regarding the dangers associated with coming into nonstop interaction with immoderate chaotic animal, including bats. District unit are trained to grip situations with chaotic animals, including bats, and we impulse everyone to study immoderate sightings to schoolhouse administrators truthful they tin instrumentality due measures.

We are committed to providing a safe, steadfast and unafraid learning and moving situation for our students and unit and our absorption is connected supporting our students and unit during this hard time. Today is our 2nd time of schoolhouse pursuing the week-long Thanksgiving break, and counselors person been made disposable to enactment students and unit astatine the school.

Dos Palos Ora Loma Joint Unified School District.

Splotch present warns anyone spot by an carnal to get treated close away, adjacent if decease done rabies is rare.

"She didn't privation her kids to beryllium exposed to it. I conjecture that was something, she protected her kids. And conscionable marque definite you get tested," Splotch said. 

Seneng leaves down a girl who she loved precise much. Splotch has acceptable up a GoFundMe to assistance with this hard clip and screen ceremonial expenses arsenic her decease was unexpected. 

To donate, click here.