FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Hundreds of Northern Arizona University (NAU) students were forced to move out of their dorm rooms over the weekend after the building became infested with bats.
Around 550 students who lived in Mountain View Hall were relocated due to health concerns after several of the bats found their way inside, including one that tested positive for rabies, KNAU reports. The students, primarily freshmen and sophomores, were moved to nearby apartments where they are expected to remain through the end of the semester. Move-out began Friday and continued over the weekend.
Coconino County Health and Human Services officials confirmed a bat recovered inside a dorm room in September tested positive for rabies. NAU officials say although they hired a pest control contractor after the first bat sighting, the infestation continued. The contractor was back outside the dorm on Oct. 4.
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No injuries have been reported but several students have received the rabies vaccine as “a cautionary measure,” according to Arizona Family.
Erik Francis, the parent of an NAU student, told Fox 10 that the infestation has been happening since Labor Day, when his daughter sent him a video of bats herding outside her windows. The university sent students several notices about the investigation, including the most recent one on Oct. 3.
“They told the kids last night at 10:30 p.m., pack a bag for five to seven days. You’re moving out, and you’re not coming back,” Francis said. “The real issue is how Northern Arizona has responded to this situation. They’ve known about this for weeks. The moment they [saw] there was more than one bat, they should have taken more proactive measures and taken more responsive than being reactive.”
Despite his criticism, Francis also said the university has been “accommodating and supportive.”
