At least 15 kindergarteners come into contact with rabid bat

At least 15 students from a Texas elementary school have reportedly come into contact with a rabid bat outside of their school on Nov. 2.

The New York Daily News reported that most of the 15 children have been found and have been referred to receive medical treatment after the exposure.

What are the details?

A group of children, all students at Lagos Elementary School in Manor, Texas, were reportedly discovered playing with or near the bat around 9 a.m.

On Wednesday, the Manor Police Department issued a statement revealing they were looking for those students and any other who may have come in contact with the bat.

"The Manor Police Department is working with Manor ISD to identify students at Lagos Elementary School who may have come into contact with a bat that tested positive for rabies by the Texas Department of State Health Services," the statement, posted on Facebook, began.

"Video footage viewed by Manor ISD discovered approximately 15 kindergarten students near or playing with the infected bat on Monday 11/02/2020 at approximately 9am," the statement continued. "Exposure with infection, if left untreated, can be fatal. If detected early, the virus is highly treatable. Manor ISD is attempting to contact parents directly of kindergarten students [sic] classes that were shown in the video."

'No confirmed cases' of rabies in children

Sgt. Craig Struble of the Manor Police Department, told WJZY-TV that there are no confirmed cases of rabies among the children at the time of this reporting.

"The students were seen touching the bat in the school playground," he said. "At this point there are no confirmed cases of kids contracting rabies from the bat."

What else?

In a Wednesday statement, a spokesperson for the district said, "Administrators at Lagos Elementary School were notified that several scholars at the campus may have come in close contact with a rabid bat. District established procedures to remove the bat were immediately followed. The scholars and families have been referred to a physician."

The district added that it would be monitoring the issue and would inspect the school "for any signs of bats and other pests."

"School officials will take the appropriate actions and notify you if any bats or other pests are found," the district added. "Manor ISD is working closely with Manor PD on this matter."

KXAN-TV noted, "If a parent has any questions about a child's potential exposure to the rabid bat, the district asks you to call its assistant director of Health Services and Wellness at 512-278-4093 and Manor Animal Control at 512-230-8348."