Health Officials Issue Rabies Warning for Grand Teton National Park Visitors
In recent months, health officials have been trying to notify numerous individuals across multiple states and countries about potential rabies exposure linked to bat-infested cabins in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park.
As of Friday, tests on the bats from several of the eight affected cabins at Jackson Lake Lodge showed no positive results for rabies. However, Dr. Alexia Harrist, Wyoming’s State Health Officer, mentioned that the few deceased bats sent for testing likely represent just a fraction of the numerous bats inhabiting the attic above the cabins.
While some bats were removed by being gently guided out of cabins, most remained in the attic and never came down into the living areas. Given this situation, health officials felt it was prudent to warn everyone who has stayed in those cabins recently, as a bat bite or scratch, particularly during sleep, can occur unnoticed.
“We’re especially worried about individuals who may have seen bats in their accommodations or had direct contact with them,” Harrist stated.
Since the issue was discovered on July 27, the cabins have been closed and are not set to reopen. Bats are known carriers of the rabies virus, and once symptoms manifest — like muscle pain and vomiting — the disease is almost always fatal for humans.
Fortunately, Harrist pointed out that a five-dose preventative treatment, if administered shortly after exposure, is highly successful in preventing the onset of the illness.
The cabins reopened in May following a winter hiatus, and according to health officials, around 500 people had stayed there based on approximately 250 reservations before late July. Efforts are underway to contact those who stayed in 38 states and seven countries through local health agencies and, for visitors from abroad, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Those who haven’t been contacted but have stayed in cabins 516 to 530 this year are urged to inform health officials or seek medical advice, Harrist added.
Prophylactic treatments are being recommended for certain individuals, such as heavy sleepers who might find a bat in their room, as well as young children who may not be able to articulate their experiences with bats.
The Wyoming Department of Health does not currently have significant concerns regarding the safety of visitors at the Jackson Lake Lodge area, which is set to host a Federal Reserve economic symposium from August 21-23.
Emily Curren, Wyoming’s public health veterinarian, commented on the lodge’s efforts to ensure visitor safety: “They’ve done an admirable job in making sure all guests this year are as safe as possible.”
Tests on several dead bats have returned negative results, and one bat could not be tested due to insufficient brain tissue. All specimens were brown bats, which come in two varieties. Although officials are unsure of the specific type found, both are common in Wyoming and typically live in colonies of 30 to 100 bats.
Given these numbers, the potential risk of rabies exposure cannot be entirely ruled out. Curren mentioned, “It’s impossible to know definitively regarding every bat that entered these rooms.”
There are no intentions to exterminate the bats; according to Grand Teton National Park spokesperson Emily Davis, measures are in place to prevent the bats from re-entering the building after they fly out in search of food.
