Greystone facility evacuated
15 years 3 months ago #1
by misterpat
Greystone facility evacuated was created by misterpat
PARSIPPANY — Amid reports of a mysterious illness afflicting bats, a Greystone Hospital cottage was evacuated Saturday after someone reported seeing one of the winged mammals fly inside, Parsippany animal control unit supervisor Chris Dikovics said today.
The bat was not found and the cottage remained closed today pending a review by health officials according to Dikovics.
Four people were inside when the bat was sighted at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Dikovics said. A spokeswoman for the state Department of Human Services did not immediately return a phone call.
The state Department of Environmental Protection confirmed last Friday that three bats — all now dead — recently recovered in the Rockaway Township area had been tentatively diagnosed with “White Nose Syndrome.”
DEP said it was the first confirmation of White Nose Syndrome — first identified in New York in 2006, and subsequently in Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut and Pennsylvania — in New Jersey.
The disease, whose cause is unknown, results in the winged mammals losing stored body fat. Bats typically hibernate in winter but the illness is apparently sending many on an ultimately fatal journey to find food.
In the past two weeks, complaints about wayward bats in Morris County have increased, particularly the Rockaway Township area. The township is home to New Jersey’s best-known bat hibernaculum, the Hibernia Mine.
Denville animal control officer Meredith Petrillo said she had retrieved four dead bats found outside in the past two weeks and a fifth from inside a home.
“It’s very unusual to find bats outside this time of year,” Petrillo said.
Mick Valent, DEP’s principal zoologist, said there is no evidence of White Nose Syndrome posing any risk to people or pets.
Rockaway Township business administrator Greg Poff confirmed today that he personally removed a dead bat from inside the council meeting room in the municipal building earlier this month and that several other bats were retrieved from the parking lot.
“The bats are all over the place. They’re all over the community,” said James Verbist, business administrator for the Rockaway Township schools district.
The Catherine A. Dwyer Elementary School in Rockaway Township was evacuated ten days ago after a bat was seen flying inside the building.
Verbist added that the decision to close the building for the day was made at the behest of state health officials.
Dikovics said that rabies is a concern and advised people to use caution around bats.
“Bats have such fine teeth, you don’t even realize you’ve been bitten,” Dikovics said.
The bat was not found and the cottage remained closed today pending a review by health officials according to Dikovics.
Four people were inside when the bat was sighted at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Dikovics said. A spokeswoman for the state Department of Human Services did not immediately return a phone call.
The state Department of Environmental Protection confirmed last Friday that three bats — all now dead — recently recovered in the Rockaway Township area had been tentatively diagnosed with “White Nose Syndrome.”
DEP said it was the first confirmation of White Nose Syndrome — first identified in New York in 2006, and subsequently in Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut and Pennsylvania — in New Jersey.
The disease, whose cause is unknown, results in the winged mammals losing stored body fat. Bats typically hibernate in winter but the illness is apparently sending many on an ultimately fatal journey to find food.
In the past two weeks, complaints about wayward bats in Morris County have increased, particularly the Rockaway Township area. The township is home to New Jersey’s best-known bat hibernaculum, the Hibernia Mine.
Denville animal control officer Meredith Petrillo said she had retrieved four dead bats found outside in the past two weeks and a fifth from inside a home.
“It’s very unusual to find bats outside this time of year,” Petrillo said.
Mick Valent, DEP’s principal zoologist, said there is no evidence of White Nose Syndrome posing any risk to people or pets.
Rockaway Township business administrator Greg Poff confirmed today that he personally removed a dead bat from inside the council meeting room in the municipal building earlier this month and that several other bats were retrieved from the parking lot.
“The bats are all over the place. They’re all over the community,” said James Verbist, business administrator for the Rockaway Township schools district.
The Catherine A. Dwyer Elementary School in Rockaway Township was evacuated ten days ago after a bat was seen flying inside the building.
Verbist added that the decision to close the building for the day was made at the behest of state health officials.
Dikovics said that rabies is a concern and advised people to use caution around bats.
“Bats have such fine teeth, you don’t even realize you’ve been bitten,” Dikovics said.
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