Health officials are working to alert hundreds of people in dozens of states and several countries who may have been exposed to rabies in bat-infested cabins in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park over the past few months.
As of Friday, none of the bats found in some of the eight linked cabins at Jackson Lake Lodge had tested positive for rabies.
But the handful of dead bats found and sent to the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory in Laramie for testing were probably only a small sample of the likely dozens that colonized the attic above the row of cabins, Wyoming State Health Officer Dr. Alexia Harrist said.
I’m aware of all of that. But it’s still necessary to assume the worst case for the past visitors since if it happened without one’s knowledge (while sleeping in the cabin, for instance), the only sign would be the onset of symptoms, at which point it’s far too late to do anything. Hence why rabies fucking sucks.
And to be clear, I have nothing against bats. I know it’s not a sinister bat-plot to infect humans with rabies. It’s just how things are, and precautions need to be taken.
Let me guess… Some of your best friends are bats, huh? So sus 😤