MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A high school band member from Morgantown is undergoing testing for rabies. A girl attending band camp at Jackson Mill woke up in her dorm with a bat near her face. According to a Monongalia County Health Department release, reports of people who’ve come in contact with bats trigger immediate rabies investigations.
Everyone else in the dorm is also being evaluated for their risk of exposure to rabies.
Risk assessments can be Low, Moderate and High Risk.
People who fall in the low risk category will be advised to remain under observation until it is determined that they are out of danger. Low risk patients with further concern should contact their physicians.
The investigation continues to determine who was else may have been exposed.
People in the moderate and high risk category will be advised to consult their health care provider or local health department to determine if they need post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
All risk assessment of students is done by personal interview with a parent or guardian. Families are advised of options following assessment.
In the United States, post-exposure prophylaxis consists of human rabies immune globulin (HRIG) and four doses of rabies vaccine over a 14-day period. Rabies immune globulin and the first dose of rabies vaccine should be given as soon as possible after exposure. Additional doses or rabies vaccine should be given on days 3, 7, and 14 after the first vaccination. Rabies can be prevented almost 100% of the time when PEP is administered soon after a rabies exposure occurs. Current vaccines are relatively painless and are given in your arm, like a flu or tetanus vaccine.
Monongalia County Health Department, Lewis County Health Department, emergency departments and hospitals deal with rabies exposures frequently and stand ready to provide assistance. Many physician offices and urgent care centers do not typically stock rabies vaccine or immunoglobulin due to expense and shelf life, so individuals should call these entities first to insure those services are available.