Louisiana Hospital Battles Winged Pests

Protecting facilities from pest invasions can be a challenge, especially as the weather becomes warmer. A Louisiana hospital found itself battling a winged invader—bats. 

Facility managers at Willis-Knighton Medical Center in Shreveport, Louisiana, hired pest control professionals after employees began seeing bats inside the hospital, KTBS-TV reported. The professionals located the opening where the bats were entering the building and sealed it off. Environmental services (EVS) staff thoroughly cleaned and disinfected all the affected areas.

No patients or staff members were harmed by the pests. Bats can spread infectious diseases, including rabies. They are among the nation’s most commonly reported rabid animals and the leading cause of rabies deaths in people in the U.S., according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (CDC).