Bats removed from Naples Family Fitness, Collier DOH wants to hear from people they touched

Writer: Matthew Seaver
Published: Updated:
(Credit: WINK News)

Naples Family Fitness is free from bats after a family of bats living in the gym were removed. The Collier County Department of Health now wants to hear from anyone who came in contact with them.

A worker at the gym said the bats were cleared out about three days ago.

“They had a whole family. There’s probably eight to 10 of them at once flying around. Yeah, felt like I was at the zoo,” said Dain Odegaard, who came in contact with bats.

The fitness center is now clear of the nocturnal creatures.

RJ Paquette, a personal trainer at Naples Family Fitness, said, “it’s been about two and a half, three days now since we’ve had any bats in the club that we’ve been able to see.”

The bats didn’t stop people from working out, though. “It didn’t really bother me,” said Odegaard.

If you did come in contact with the bats, the Collier County Health Department wants to hear from you so they can make sure you didn’t catch anything, like rabies, from the animals.

“If you have handled the bat, or potentially been bitten or scratched by a bat, you need to contact the health department right away,” said Kristine Hollingsworth with the Collier County Health Department.

The health department will investigate if you tell them you have come in contact with the bats.

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