Overnight Campers (186) at Henry Doorly Zoo (Omaha) get rabies shots.

[RememberSchiff]

A group of Cedar Rapids girl scouts and their parents is now getting rabies shots this week after a possible exposure to a rabid bat during an overnight at Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in Omaha.

During the Fourth of July weekend, the zoo hosted multiple overnight campouts in the Scott Aquarium for 186 campers .  One camper awoke that Sunday to a wild bat near her head; the responding EMT found no scratches or bite marks.

The zoo soon found seven "little brown bats" (Myotis lucifugus, native to Nebraska) in the aquarium. One tested positive for rabies; all seven were euthanized. 

"The zoo is also offering guests refunds for the camping events and is paying for the post exposure rabies treatments."

https://www.kcrg.com/2021/07/16/cedar-rapids-girl-scout-troop-is-among-those-getting-rabies-shots-after-possible-exposure-nebraska-zoo/

https://www.ketv.com/article/7-wild-bats-found-in-henry-doorly-zoo-aquariaum186-people-told-to-get-rabies-shot/36985830

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nebraska-zoo-says-200-people-possibly-exposed-rabid-bat-n1273628

Edited July 16, 2021 by RememberSchiff

[yknot]

4 hours ago, RememberSchiff said:

A group of Cedar Rapids girl scouts and their parents is now getting rabies shots this week after a possible exposure to a rabid bat during an overnight at Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in Omaha.

During the Fourth of July weekend, the zoo hosted multiple overnight campouts in the Scott Aquarium for 186 campers .  One camper awoke that Sunday to a wild bat near her head; the responding EMT found no scratches or bite marks.

The zoo soon found seven "little brown bats" (Myotis lucifugus, native to Nebraska) in the aquarium. One tested positive for rabies; all seven were euthanized. 

"The zoo is also offering guests refunds for the camping events and is paying for the post exposure rabies treatments."

https://www.kcrg.com/2021/07/16/cedar-rapids-girl-scout-troop-is-among-those-getting-rabies-shots-after-possible-exposure-nebraska-zoo/

https://www.ketv.com/article/7-wild-bats-found-in-henry-doorly-zoo-aquariaum186-people-told-to-get-rabies-shot/36985830

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nebraska-zoo-says-200-people-possibly-exposed-rabid-bat-n1273628

There are so many outdoor issues that scouting does not train for or provides only cursory education about, I assume because things like rabies, Lyme disease, invasive plants that can burn you badly enough to land you in the ER, etc., would frighten parents. 

 

[RememberSchiff]

1 hour ago, yknot said:

There are so many outdoor issues that scouting does not train for or provides only cursory education about, I assume because things like rabies, Lyme disease, invasive plants that can burn you badly enough to land you in the ER, etc., would frighten parents.

I hope we still teach scouts to keep their wits and take appropriate, timely action - leadership as zoo management did. As a parent, I sleep better knowing my sons will Be Prepared to act even if they are not necessarily expert on the situation. They will do their best.

I can relate to this as "little brown bats" colonized in my attic in early fall. That was an education.  Mass Div of Fisheries and WildLife and I have different definitions of "endangered".

My $0.02,

[yknot]

49 minutes ago, RememberSchiff said:

I hope we still teach scouts to keep their wits and take appropriate, timely action - leadership as zoo management did. As a parent, I sleep better knowing my sons will Be Prepared to act even if they are not necessarily expert on the situation. They will do their best.

I can relate to this as "little brown bats" colonized in my attic in early fall. That was an education.  Mass Div of Fisheries and WildLife and I have different definitions of "endangered".

My $0.02,

The problem is that the BSA curriculum is really outdated and minimal on some of these topics. Like 1960s level information. Rabies and tick borne diseases are two areas of particular concern. No amount of Be Prepared can help when there is a basic lack of conventional knowledge. We've been so focused on YPT and yet there are other areas that need to be looked at. If we survive bankruptcy.... 

[SSScout]

It is truly amazing that so many of us survived childhood.  

My best friend and I in fifth grade found and captured a "little brown bat" and managed to sneak it into school and left it in our teacher's desk at close of school. Never did hear the result.... 

[InquisitiveScouter]

15 hours ago, yknot said:

Lyme disease

We now have over 10 Scouts and adults who have contracted Lyme over the last five years...it is endemic in our area.  Cannot point to all cases being contracted while on Scouting events, but at least four were, since we began using a Sharpie to circle the bite area for monitoring, and are taking pictures (with permission) if not in a sensitive area.  Those who have contracted it are now absolutely religious about repellents and tick checks.  It's funny how most parents (and certainly not most Scouts) will take this seriously until after exposure...

BTW, BSA insurance pays supplemental for health care needed to treat.  If you are on some federal form of health care (e.g., US military dependents) the BSA pays primary and full.

And, I get a Lyme titer every year in my blood work for annual checkup... not everyone shows the bullseye...ask your doctor.

Edited July 17, 2021 by InquisitiveScouter

[yknot]

1 hour ago, InquisitiveScouter said:

We now have over 10 Scouts and adults who have contracted Lyme over the last five years...it is endemic in our area.  Cannot point to all cases being contracted while on Scouting events, but at least four were, since we began using a Sharpie to circle the bite area for monitoring, and are taking pictures (with permission) if not in a sensitive area.  Those who have contracted it are now absolutely religious about repellents and tick checks.  It's funny how most parents (and certainly not most Scouts) will take this seriously until after exposure...

BTW, BSA insurance pays supplemental for health care needed to treat.  If you are on some federal form of health care (e.g., US military dependents) the BSA pays primary and full.

And, I get a Lyme titer every year in my blood work for annual checkup... not everyone shows the bullseye...ask your doctor.

We have had several serious cases in our units. Prevention really needs to include more than repellents and tick checks. BSA doesn't give any common sense guidance about camp site selection, tick activity, vegetation and areas to avoid, etc. Whether it's blue green algae or giant hogweed or rabies, there are a lot of outdoor concerns BSA is pretty silent on despite the fact that it is an organization that routinely puts kids out in the woods. There's a knowlege gap. 

[InquisitiveScouter]

Concur, but if you don't have the basics down...awareness, repellents, and good checks, then the other stuff is just more chaff

[DuctTape]

Ticks and mosquitos have been known to carry diseases for a long time. Campsite selection, first aid, and insect bite first aid/prevention has been part of the outdoor program for almost the entire existence of BSA. The guidance is within the handbooks, fieldbooks, mB books and all the other external resources BSA recommends including CDC, FDA and other governmental resources not to mention the adult leaders knowledge. Sure it may not bein the Guide to Safe Scouting, but it is not possible to include everything, nor should it attempt to. The GTSS is NOT the program.

[yknot]

49 minutes ago, DuctTape said:

Ticks and mosquitos have been known to carry diseases for a long time. Campsite selection, first aid, and insect bite first aid/prevention has been part of the outdoor program for almost the entire existence of BSA. The guidance is within the handbooks, fieldbooks, mB books and all the other external resources BSA recommends including CDC, FDA and other governmental resources not to mention the adult leaders knowledge. Sure it may not bein the Guide to Safe Scouting, but it is not possible to include everything, nor should it attempt to. The GTSS is NOT the program.

I would say many if not most adult leaders don't have the knowledge. That's the issue. A lot of people today come to scouting from urban or suburban backgrounds. They are not on listservs for state DEPs or Fish & Wildlife or public health services to get alerts about local rabies cases or new tick borne diseases or invasive or emigrating species. They are not out hunting or farming or birding or whatever in their spare time, they are at a soccer field. That's how you wind up with a scout leader entering a cave with an awake bear in it. They think black bears hibernate from December to April.  Where in the BSA program is there any guidance on hunting seasons? How many leaders out there know what blaze orange is? I normally am in line with you DuctTape but not on this 

[DuctTape]

I hear you. Adult leader knowledge is but one resource I mentioned. I also stated handbooks, fieldbooks, mB books, and bsa recommended external resources. The entire point of these resources and the scouting program is this type of knowledge. Even rank requirements specifically reference local poisonous plants (since you mentioned hogweed).

If scouts aren't learning these, then the entire program isn't being followed. If the adult leaders don't have the knowledge, what are they doing to ensure the scouts have access to other adults and resources. This is true for all aspects of the program, not just poisonous plants and disease carrying insects.

[RichardB]

4 hours ago, DuctTape said:

Ticks and mosquitos have been known to carry diseases for a long time. Campsite selection, first aid, and insect bite first aid/prevention has been part of the outdoor program for almost the entire existence of BSA. The guidance is within the handbooks, fieldbooks, mB books and all the other external resources BSA recommends including CDC, FDA and other governmental resources not to mention the adult leaders knowledge. Sure it may not bein the Guide to Safe Scouting, but it is not possible to include everything, nor should it attempt to. The GTSS is NOT the program.

But it is also referenced in the GTSS.  https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/gss/gss13/  (which is part of the program materials, and you agree to follow when you sign up as a leader).  https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/gss/bsa-scouter-code-of-conduct/

Might also suggest review of communicable disease guidance for leaders which includes vectors:  https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/HealthSafety/pdf/680-103(18)_Prev_of_CommunicableDiseases.pdf

[MattR]

The training for what I call dangerous stuff  seems to shy away from local issues. It's there but not pushed. I will never see Lyme disease or hogweed but I nearly stepped on a sleeping rattler a week ago and altitude sickness is something we have to look out for on several campouts a year. I think it would be great fun for the scouts to learn about all the ways to get hurt in different areas. (I once went on a night hike in the Amazon and they could have called it: all the ways to die in the dark - scouts would love it. "See the colorful frog? If you touch it you will die.")  Anyway, I'd certainly like to see a local dangers presentation if I were going to an area I'm not familiar with. 

[yknot]

21 hours ago, MattR said:

The training for what I call dangerous stuff  seems to shy away from local issues. It's there but not pushed. I will never see Lyme disease or hogweed but I nearly stepped on a sleeping rattler a week ago and altitude sickness is something we have to look out for on several campouts a year. I think it would be great fun for the scouts to learn about all the ways to get hurt in different areas. (I once went on a night hike in the Amazon and they could have called it: all the ways to die in the dark - scouts would love it. "See the colorful frog? If you touch it you will die.")  Anyway, I'd certainly like to see a local dangers presentation if I were going to an area I'm not familiar with. 

Possibly the germ of an exciting new marketing campaign lol.

It is indeed strange there is so little information available on outdoor risk in an outdoor organization. I would also say this is yet another way that BSA has never left the 1960s. While a lot of scouting is local, scouts do travel for camp and HA and with their families. Further, even if BSA wanted to push this down to regional levels, some guidance should be given about what regional information resources there are to access and what those are. 

[qwazse]

Knowing what can put a hurting on you around here is pretty standard training. And generally I don’t limit scouts to the BSHB for that information. Over time we train them on where to look for the latest notifications.