Mom brings rabid bat to school, lets kids touch it

[Mike Hood]

How's this for "show and tell??"

http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/conten ... chool.html

[Ralph E. Powers]

How's this for "show and tell??"

http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/conten ... chool.html

That was careless and reckless of the mother to do that. For one thing, bat specialists all say do not touch or pick up a bat they've found unless you have gloves. If the animal is dead then leave it unless there's a danger of a dog or cat getting at it and eating it, dispose of it properly.
Exposing the children to rabies (granted unknowingly) was careless. She should be ashamed.
She also didn't help our flying friends' cause by doing this. Now the stigma of bats carrying rabies will be applied to ALL bats and further increasing the animosity against them. Shame on her.

[Teresa]

How's this for "show and tell??"

http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/conten ... chool.html

Story says the school will now require visitor's passes. Just how will a visitor's pass prevent this situation? By the context, it was the mother of one of the students-- yeah, right, she was doing this on purpose to off children--nah.... these days, someone could bring a packet of peanuts, and a kid go into anaphalactic shock with peanut dust contact. Ok, it wasn't the brightest move of the day, but assuming this was for a science class-- where was the teacher in all this? This is Montana-- a place (unlike New York City) where one would assume general knowledge of rabies amongst the educated folk would exist.

I'm curious how the dead bat was determined to be diseased, since everything I've heard says you have to have a live (or very recently dead) bat brain to check for rabies.

The story leave a lot out in its grab for shock value.

[Phil Winkler]

You are correct Teresa. The diagnosis of rabies in an animal is done by examining the dead brain for artifacts known as Negri bodies. The brain is first removed, of course. In humans the diagnosis is generally via symptoms and a serological blood test specific for rabies.

[Ralph E. Powers]

How's this for "show and tell??"

http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/conten ... chool.html

Story says the school will now require visitor's passes. Just how will a visitor's pass prevent this situation? By the context, it was the mother of one of the students-- yeah, right, she was doing this on purpose to off children--nah.... these days, someone could bring a packet of peanuts, and a kid go into anaphalactic shock with peanut dust contact. Ok, it wasn't the brightest move of the day, but assuming this was for a science class-- where was the teacher in all this? This is Montana-- a place (unlike New York City) where one would assume general knowledge of rabies amongst the educated folk would exist.

I'm curious how the dead bat was determined to be diseased, since everything I've heard says you have to have a live (or very recently dead) bat brain to check for rabies.

The story leave a lot out in its grab for shock value.

Agreed, and probably because of key words... dead, rabies, and most importantly (feigns shudder) BAT. News sensationalizing the story which appreciably, newsworthy but only because of the stupidity of the mother picking up a dead animal and exposing potentially harmful pathogens to children. Yes, she had them all wipe their hands with a anti-bacterial wipe and that was the least she could do.
I can appreciate her intentions (or at least guess at them) that helping children understand bats and to be able to touch/see one up close (dead or alive) where as they may grow up and try killing the one that flies into their living room with a broom instead of opening a door and letting the creature back outside where it belongs.
But it was dead and one has to wonder WHAT killed it before picking it up. Just plain common sense y'all.

[KD5NRH]

Gee, if she wants more show and tell, I passed a 0.5" thick possum on the way to work...

At least it's pretty obvious what killed that.

[panama]

this was pretty cool!