PUYALLUP, Wash. — The Puyallup School District is taking steps to address a bat infestation at Edgerton Elementary School after at least eight bats have been found in the building in recent weeks.So far, the local health department has recommended treatment for a staff member and a student who possibly had contact with the bats.As recently as Thursday morning, another dead bat was found inside the school’s mechanical room upstairs. District officials say it looked like it had been there for some time, but they still don’t know how the bats are getting in.“I’m really concerned my son’s going to pick one up. That sounds awful,” said Sara Sutherland, whose child goes to school at Edgerton.For weeks, Edgerton Elementary has been dealing with a bat problem. At least eight live and dead bats have been found in different parts of the school since Sept. 14, including in the mechanical room, the kindergarten hallway, and the cafeteria/gym hallway.“I was kind of disappointed they didn’t let the parents know ahead of time they have bats in their school because bats carry diseases. That just makes me nervous as a parent because what if a kid got bit?” said Ashley Williams, an Edgerton parent.So far, only one staff member has come into contact with a bat.“We recommended PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) for the staff member who had contact with a bat on Sept. 14. We also recommended PEP for a student out of an abundance of caution after an unconfirmed report that they possibly came into contact with a bat,” a Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department (TPCHD) official told KOMO News.“If a bat involved in an exposure is captured, we send it to the state public health lab for rabies testing. We do not test bats that have not reportedly come into contact with a human and have not tested any bats related to the activity at Edgerton Elementary,” health department officials said.Public health officials say if you come into contact with a bat, immediately wash any bite or scratch and contact a health care provider to help determine any potential rabies exposure and next steps.“I feel a little left in the dark. There isn’t any information about the dangers that our children are being faced with,” said Sutherland.Three of the bats have been found in the school’s mechanical room, which may help staff narrow down how they’re getting into the building, district officials shared.For now, officials are working with pest control to seal any gaps or openings, and school staff continue to monitor for any more bats.“But there’s still no answer. They don’t know where they’re coming from. They don’t know where they’re roosting or anything. We kind of just have to wait until the officials decide what to do,” said Sutherland.Pest control will be at the school this weekend to address the issue.According to TPCHD, the last time a bat tested positive for rabies in Pierce County was 2017. The state has seen only two cases of human rabies in the last 75 years.Regular updates on the bat situation at Edgerton Elementary will be posted as they become available here.
