\u201cLast week, we were notified of bats in a unit at The Mark Athens,” management for the building said in a statement to WSB-TV and WUGA<\/a>. “Our team immediately removed the bats, engaged a licensed wildlife specialist to inspect the unit, and addressed a potential entry point.”<\/p>\n “Following a subsequent report, the unit was inspected again out of an abundance of caution,” the statement continued. “We have offered alternative accommodation options, including relocation to another unit and reimbursement for a hotel stay. The health and well-being of our residents is our top priority, and we will remain in close communication with the affected residents.\u201d<\/p>\n PEOPLE has reached out to The Mark for comment.<\/p>\n \u201cI came to the realization it was a bat clinging to the bottom of my comforter,\u201d UGA student Amanda Nolan told the outlet after explaining that she and her roommates first found a bat in their unit in January. Nolan said they found two more in March.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was on the ground less than foot from me, it crept from under the fridge while I was making breakfast,\u201d another student, Kate Minichiello, told WSB-TV. \u201cIt was very jarring, and after we saw its paws, we confirmed it was a bat.”<\/p>\n \u201cA little bit later, I heard the sound of flapping wings, that\u2019s when I really freaked out,\u201d Claire Stockman told the outlet.<\/p>\n Stock image of a small bat Some bats have been known to carry rabies, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH)<\/a>. “Bats has been considered as natural reservoirs of several highly pathogenic viruses, including Ebola virus, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, Nipah virus, and Hendra viruses,” according to the NIH.<\/p>\n As a precautionary measure as it is unclear whether the bats living in The Mark carried rabies, several students living there received rabies vaccinations at the recommendation of the Georgia Department of Health, per WSB-TV.<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/p>\n Minichiello told WSB-TV she was potentially bitten on her hand in her sleep, and has received several rounds of vaccinations in case the bat carried the infectious disease.<\/p>\n \u201cI had been injected four different ways in my hand. It\u2019s the most painful thing I have honestly gone through,\u201d Minichiello said.<\/p>\n![\"Stock](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/a4820cad9904467e297434300e13b2fc.jpeg\"\/)
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