Horrified students discover 'alarming' infestation in dorm and might need injections – Daily Star
University of Georgia students may need rabies vaccines after they returned to their dorms for the spring semester two weeks ago to discover dozens of huge bats had taken over
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Hundreds of students at the University of Georgia have been left horrified after returning to their college dorm for the spring semester to find it had been taken over by some unwanted guests in a skin-crawling find.
For more than two weeks, students living in Ogelthorpe House, a university residence located near the central campus in Athens, Georgia, have been spotting dozens of huge bats. Photos posted online by the students have shown the creatures hanging from dorm room doors and taking over stairwells.
University officials claim they immediately contacted a pest control company to humanely remove the bats, which were first discovered on January 14 and are a protected species in the state of Georgia. The college believes they entered the residence, where students pay upwards of $3,000 a semester to live, through a penthouse located on the roof of the building and via a mechanical space where there are boilers.
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"We believe they were entering through that space and then getting in the stairwells through that opening," Linda Kasper, the executive director of university housing, told Fox5. At one point, the infestation got so bad university officials even had to cut off access to the stairwell, Atlanta News First reports.
Linda said all the holes the bats had been getting through had been sealed by January 21 after delays in completing the work because they needed a lift that reached the 10th floor. "We expected it would take about three days to remove all the bats because the bats are so small, and they're very good at hiding," she added.
But since then, more bats have been spotted in the dorm, including another 30 of them on the stairwell. Students have been left disgusted by the infestation.
Eva Sardon, a student who's seen the bats on several occasions, told Fox 5: "It's very alarming. There was one in the lobby, and it was like on the floor, and then all of a sudden it just got up and started flying at me, so I ran back to my room."
Freshman Ella Jones feels like "there could be more done" to resolve the issue. She told Atlanta News First: "They have certain qualifications they can’t do because they’re a protected species. But I go to school here, am I not a protected species? I sure hope I am.”
The university has insisted pest control is continuing to monitor the building daily as they warned students not to touch the bats. Linda said: "There is still a possibility that there are a few. So, we continue to have pest control here around the clock.
"They are on call, and we continue to tell students please do not touch the bats. If you see one, please contact the desk or call the RAs." The Northeast Health District said it is currently working with the Georgia Department of Public Health’s epidemiology unit and the University of Georgia to carry out a "risk assessment" in relation to the infestation.
The Georgia Division of Natural Resources notes some bats do have rabies. While less than 1% of the creatures carry the disease, people who may have come into contact with the bats have been asked to fill in a survey to assess whether they may require a rabies vaccine.
"We've been working with the Department of Public Health since last week encouraging anyone who has had any contact with the bats, so everyone who lives in this building, everyone who has worked in this building, to take a survey," Linda said. In a statement, the health district added: "Whether post‐exposure rabies vaccination would be recommended for an individual depends on a number of factors, and completing the assessment will allow Public Health officials to make recommendations and connect individuals to appropriate care, if needed, based on their specific circumstances."
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