Nearly 200 people could be exposed to rabid bat at Nebraska Zoo

This sleepover bites.

Nearly 200 people who paid to attend a sleepover at a Nebraska zoo are being asked to get a rabies vaccine – as they may have been exposed to a rabid bat, officials say.

A camper woke up at the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in Omaha on July 4 and spotted one of the mammals carrying the disease flying near his head, the zoo said on Friday.

The woman was not scratched or bitten, but the zoo subsequently found seven wild bats – one of which tested positive for rabies – inside the site and said up to 186 people may have been exposed.

“The bats we identified were little brown bats, a bat species common in Nebraska that anyone could find in their backyard or attic,” said Sarah Woodhouse, director of animal health. of the Doorly Zoo. “It is not uncommon for a wild bat to be infected with rabies, which is why you should never directly touch a wild bat.”

The zoo reimbursed campers who slept between June 30 and July 4 and is paying for their shots.

It was not immediately clear how the bats entered the site, but staff members found no signs of the bats’ long-term rest, officials said. The zoo has since moved overnight camping events elsewhere.

Animal lovers who have visited the aquarium during the day need not fear infection because the bats only come out at night, Woodhouse said.

In recent months, the zoo has offered shark-centric “Sleeping Bag Safaris” at night. It ranks among the top five aquariums in the world, according to its website.