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U.S. Girl Scouts Get Rabies Shots

Nearly 1,000 Girl Scouts in the United States are being advised to get rabies shots, after they were reportedly around bats while they were staying at camp in northern Virginia. Bats, which are known to be prolific carriers of rabies, can bite people while they sleep without waking them...meaning that someone who is bitten by a bat that has rabies may have contracted the virus without even knowing it.

While the danger is low in this instance, the Girl Scouts of America are not taking any chances. Five bats caught at the Potomac Woods camp tested negative for rabies, but officials later learned that a few girls touched a bat that a counselor had caught, and that some of the girls did not use protective netting around their beds while sleeping. Only about 1 percent of bats carry rabies, and once symptoms begin to appear, rabies is incurable.

While the chances of contraction of rabies are low in this instance, Girl Scouts officials are urging the girls` parents to err on the side of caution, and get the girls vaccinated after they slept at Camp. At least 14 girls have started the round of six to nine shots, which can cost up to $2,000. The Girl Scouts organization is covering the cost. The camp has installed screens on all the windows and doors to keep out any future bats.