More than 200 Texas Southern students displaced because of bats

HOUSTON – More than 200 Texas Southern students moved into hotels after bats were discovered in their dormitory, raising concerns that they might have been exposed to rabies, health officials said.
Videos on the Internet show two students killing bats with a broom and a tennis racket. One student who said he killed dozens of bats said he did not know of anyone who was bitten.
But health officials who saw the videos fear that students could have been exposed to rabies if they were “splattered” by saliva, said Kathy Barton, a spokeswoman for the city of Houston’s health department.
“When we saw the video, we knew we had a problem,” Barton said.
Health officials asked students Monday to meet with them to determine whether any would need rabies vaccinations.
Texas Southern officials are trying to rid the dorm of the bat infestation, said university spokesman Terrence Jackson. Exterminators went to the dorm Monday.