A suspected bat colony at Jackson Lake Lodge in Grand Teton National Park has left over 200 guests potentially exposed to rabies after a mass outbreak. The hotel, which hosted guests from May 15 to July 27, closed eight rooms with bats living in the attic space due to multiple reports of bat run-ins.
Travis Riddell, director of Teton County Public Health Department, believes that multiple bats may be residing above the rooms, rather than a single bat entering the same space multiple times. This raises concerns about the risk of rabies transmission through contact with the bats’ saliva.
According to State Health Officer Alexia Harrist, anyone who stayed in those rooms should be contacted by their local or state health department for further assessment and potential vaccination. Rabies vaccines are costly, ranging from $16,000 to over $32,000 per person.
However, not everyone who stayed in the affected rooms will require vaccinations. Those who didn’t see a bat in their room have an extremely low risk of rabies exposure. The Wyoming Department of Health is tracking down visitors from 38 states and seven countries who may have been exposed.
This outbreak highlights the importance of prompt action against rabies, which can be fatal without treatment. Anyone with questions about the outbreak or potential risks should contact Grand Teton Lodge Company and their local health department for guidance.
Source: https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/health/2025-08-12