ATHENS, Ga. \u2014 Some UGA students are getting rabies vaccine shots after being exposed to bats in their off campus apartments. <\/p>\n
The students provided video and pictures of the bats, which can carry rabies, coronavirus and other potentially deadly diseases.<\/p>\n
Channel 2\u2019s Tom Regan spoke to the students, who say they are living in fear of being bitten.<\/p>\n
Bats are so common in this area of Athens that they have bat roosts or boxes for shelter.<\/p>\n
But instead of staying in a bat house, a few slipped into an off-campus apartment frightening some UGA students.<\/p>\n
\u201cI came to the realization it was a bat clinging to the bottom of my comforter,\u201d student Amanda Nolan said.<\/p>\n
Nolan and her roommates say spending time in their apartment is something they\u2019ve come to dread because they\u2019ve been living with a bat infestation.<\/p>\n
They found the first creature in January, and then two more just in the last week.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was on the ground less than foot from me, it crept from under the fridge while I was making breakfast,\u201d said Kate Minichiello.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was very jarring, and after we saw its paws, we confirmed it was a bat,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
\u201cA little bit later, I heard the sound of flapping wings, that\u2019s when I really freaked out,\u201d Claire Stockman said.<\/p>\n
Sunday night, the girls decided to stay in a hotel after hearing what they thought was another bat.<\/p>\n
The bats spotted earlier have been removed. But the students say they were not tested for rabies.<\/p>\n
As a result, the Georgia Department of Health told them to get a series of painful rabies vaccine shots just in case they were infected by exposure to the bats.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been very difficult. It\u2019s been a huge disruption,\u201d Nolan said.<\/p>\n
Minichiello had to get additional antibody shots in her hand, which may have been bitten by a bat while she was asleep.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had been injected four different ways in my hand. It\u2019s the most painful thing I have honestly gone through,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The students want management at their apartment complex to reimburse them for motel costs for several nights out of concern over bat exposure.<\/p>\n
They\u2019re looking forward to the end of school.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaintenance needs to alert more people that they are removing bats because of how dangerous they are,\u201d Stockman said.<\/p>\n
Regan reached out to management who shared the following response:<\/p>\n
\u201cLast week, we were notified of bats in a unit at The Mark Athens. Our team immediately removed the bats, engaged a licensed wildlife specialist to inspect the unit, and addressed a potential entry point. Following a subsequent report, the unit was inspected again out of an abundance of caution. 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
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