California Art Teacher Dies After Being Bitten By a Bat She Found in Her Classroom and Tried to Rescue

A California middle school art teacher tragically died after contracting rabies from a bat bite she received while trying to save the creature from her classroom.

In mid-October, Leah Seneng, 60, discovered a bat in her classroom at Bryant Middle School in Dos Palos, California, ABC 30 reported.

Although Seneng attempted to gently remove it without harm, she was bitten when the bat suddenly flew away. Seneng did not seek immediate medical treatment.

A month after the bite, Seneng began exhibiting symptoms, including fever and confusion. On Nov. 18, Seneng's daughter rushed her to the hospital where she was placed in a medically induced coma.

"It's just devastating to see her in that state, with all the machines hooked up and everything, it was pretty upsetting and scary," Laura Splotch, Seneng's friend of 15 years, told ABC 30.

Despite efforts to save her, Seneng passed away four days later. Health officials, along with the CDC, confirmed rabies as the cause of death.

"She was a lover of life. She spent a lot of time in the mountains where her mother lived. She loved to explore the world, she's a great explorer," Splotch told the outlet.