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California teacher dies after being bitten by a bat inside her classroom
A central California teacher died last month after she was bitten by a bat that presumably had rabies inside her classroom, officials and a friend of the woman, marking the third such fatality in North America in recent weeks.
In the wake of Leah Seneng’s death on Nov. 22, public health officials are warning the public about the dangers of bats, which are the most common source of human rabies in the U.S. Even though fewer than 10 people in the country die from rabies each year, it is almost always fatal if not treated quickly.
Seneng, 60, found a bat in her classroom in mid-October, her friend Laura Splotch told KFSN-TV. She tried to scoop it up and take it outside but it bit her, Splotch said.
Seneng did not immediately have symptoms of rabies but she fell ill weeks later and was taken to the hospital, where she was put into a medically-induced coma and died days later, Splotch told the TV station.
“It’s devastating to see her in that state, with all the machines hooked up and everything, it was pretty upsetting and scary,” Splotch told KFSN.
According to her Facebook profile, Seneng was an art teacher at Bryant Middle School in Dos Palos, California. The Dos Palos-Oro Loma Joint Unified School District, called Seneng “a dedicated and compassionate educator.”
“We were shocked to learn that Leah’s passing was related to contracting rabies, most likely from being bitten by a bat and we are cooperating with the Merced County Department of Public Health on their investigation,” the school district said in a statement. “We live and work in a community known to have bats and other wildlife around school grounds, and we will continue to help educate our community regarding the dangers associated with coming into direct contact with any wild animal, including bats.”
Merced County confirmed the rabies exposure but, due to privacy laws, did not release the deceased’s name. The California Department of Public Health confirmed that the victim died after contracting rabies.
“Bites from bats can be incredibly small and difficult to see or to detect. It is important to wash your hands and look for any open wounds after touching a wild animal, and to seek immediate medical care if bitten,” CDPH Director Dr. Tomás J. Aragón said in a statement. “It is always safest to leave wild animals alone. Do not approach, touch, or try to feed any animals that you don’t know.”
At least two other people in North America have died of rabies after encountering a bat in recent weeks. Last month, health officials in Canada announced that a child died from rabies after being exposed to a bat in their room. About a week before that, officials announced a U.S. citizen died from rabies after being exposed to a bat in western Minnesota in July.
How is rabies spread and what are the symptoms?
Rabies is a deadly viral infection that attacks the nervous system in humans and animals, causing brain and spinal cord inflammation. It is typically spread to humans through direct contact with the saliva of an infected animal through scratching or biting.
Rabies is commonly found in bats, raccoons, foxes, skunks and some household pets. Without proper and prompt treatment after symptoms appear, rabies is nearly 100 percent fatal in both animals and humans, according to Haldimand and Norfolk Health Services, where the child was admitted.
Treatment has proven to be nearly 100% effective at preventing the disease if someone is exposed, though it must start before symptoms appear.
Bats pose a unique risk because their scratches can be hard to notice due to their small teeth, and bats cannot be vaccinated through provincial programs, health officials said.
If bitten by an animal suspected of carrying the virus, health officials advise washing the wound thoroughly with soap and water for 15 minutes and immediately seeking medical attention.
According to the CDC, the incubation period of rabies may last from weeks to months, depending on the location of exposure, severity of exposure and age.
“The first symptoms of rabies, called prodrome, maybe like the flu, including weakness, discomfort, fever, or headache. There also may be discomfort, prickling, or an itching sensation at the site of the bite. These symptoms may last for several days,” the CDC says.
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Jay-Z, Sean “Diddy” Combs accused of raping 13-year-old in civil suit
Rappers Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs have been accused in a civil lawsuit of raping a 13-year-old girl back in 2000.
The lawsuit, which was originally filed in October and re-filed Sunday in New York to add Jay-Z to the list of defendants, alleges that the victim, identified only as a woman now living in Alabama, was raped by both men at a Video Music Awards afterparty.
Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, referred to the allegations in a statement as a “blackmail attempt.” Combs’ attorney denied the allegations.
The lawsuit alleges the girl went to the VMAs in New York City without a ticket hoping to get inside, but was instead invited to an afterparty by a limo driver who claimed to work for Combs. The limo driver allegedly drove her to the party, where she was told to sign something that she believes was a non-disclosure agreement, the lawsuit claims.
While inside, the lawsuit alleges, “after attempting to talk to numerous celebrities, Plaintiff accepted a drink from one of the waitresses circulating the crowd.” The lawsuit claims she began to feel “woozy and lightheaded” after drinking “a portion of the drink” and went to find a place to lie down. She went into a room that had a bed in it and, shortly after lying down, Combs, Carter and an unnamed woman celebrity whom the alleged victim recognized entered the room, the lawsuit claims.
The lawsuit then alleges that Carter held her down and raped her while Combs and the woman celebrity watched. After, Combs also raped her while Carter and the woman watched, the suit claims. Combs then attempted to force the girl to perform oral sex on him, but she managed to punch him, grab her clothes, wrap them around her and run away, according to the lawsuit.
“Although there were other guests still at the party, no one appeared to take notice of Plaintiff’s distress or attempted to help her,” the lawsuit alleges.
According to the lawsuit, after leaving the house and putting her clothes back on, the girl managed to run back to a gas station she had seen on the way to the party, where a clerk “noticed her distress and allowed her to use the phone.” She then allegedly used the phone to call her father and have him pick her up.
The woman is seeking unspecified damages.
In response to the filing, Carter said in a statement, “My lawyer received a blackmail attempt, called a demand letter, from a ‘lawyer’ named Tony Buzbee. What he had calculated was the nature of these allegations and the public scrutiny would make me want to settle. No sir, it had the opposite effect! It made me want to expose you for the fraud you are in a VERY public fashion. So no, I will not give you ONE RED PENNY!!”
“Only your network of conspiracy theorists, fake physics, will believe the idiotic claims you have levied against me that, if not for the seriousness surrounding harm to kids, would be laughable,” the statement added.
Teny Geragos, an attorney representing Combs, said in a statement, “This amended complaint and the recent extortion lawsuit against Mr. Buzbee exposes his barrage of lawsuits against Mr. Combs for what they are: shameless publicity stunts, designed to extract payments from celebrities who fear having lies spread about them, just as lies have been spread about Mr. Combs. As his legal team has said before, Mr. Combs has full confidence in the facts and the integrity of the judicial process. In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone—man or woman, adult or minor.”
Buzbee was sued last month by an anonymous male celebrity, who alleges the lawyer tried to extort payments by threatening to file allegations of sexual assault, which the celebrity denies. Buzbee, in return, denies the extortion allegations.
Buzbee did not immediately respond to a CBS News request for comment. On Sunday night he posted on Instagram that there has been a “coordinated and aggressive effort” against him that has included “filing frivolous cases against me and my law firm, defaming me with outrageous assertions to anyone who will listen, and having mysterious people follow me and my family.”
“People will see through this effort to discredit me and my clients and the truth will be revealed. I also won’t allow anyone to scare my clients into silence,” Buzbee wrote.
Combs is currently in custody in New York as he awaits trial on federal sex trafficking charges. His attempts to secure bail have been denied several times.
Combs was arrested in September and charged with sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution, with prosecutors accusing him of using his business empire to engage in repeated abuses over the years. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
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