What We Know About the California Teacher Who Died After Being Bitten by a Bat in Her Classroom

• Leah Seneng, a Bryant Middle School teacher, died on Nov. 22, a month after she was bitten by a bat in her classroom

• The Dos Palos-Oro Loma Joint Unified School District tells PEOPLE that Seneng was a "dedicated and compassionate educator"

• "She loved to explore the world," said Laura Splotch, a friend who set up a GoFundMe on behalf of Seneng's family

A California middle school teacher who died a month after a bat bit her inside a classroom was remembered by friends and colleagues as "dedicated" and a "lover of life."

Leah Seneng, 60, an art teacher who taught at Bryant Middle School in Dos Palos, encountered the animal in October on the floor of her classroom early in the morning before her students arrived, her friend Laura Splotch told CNN.

“She scooped it up and she took it outside,” Splotch said. “I guess it bit her, or she maybe thought it scratched her or something, and then it took off. It flew away, and she didn’t think anything of it, not thinking that it was sick or anything."

Related: Minnesota Man Dies of Rabies 6 Months After Bat Bite

"So she got it out of the classroom, and then she just went about her day, and she told her daughter about it," Splotch continued.

Splotch told ABC affiliate KFSN that Seneng didn’t show any symptoms of rabies after the bite. But then Seneng fell ill and was admitted to the hospital on Nov. 18 by her daughter and placed in a coma. Four days after she was brought to the hospital, Seneng died, KFSN and The Fresno Bee reported.

Dr. Andrew Schwab, the superintendent of Dos Palos-Oro Loma Joint Unified School District, tells PEOPLE on Dec. 4 that Seneng "was a dedicated and compassionate educator and her absence will be profoundly felt by her students, her colleagues, and the entire Dos Palos school district community. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences go out to her family and loved ones during this difficult time.”

Splotch, a friend of Seneng for 15 years, described the late teacher as kind and a lover of the arts. 

Related: Fox Infected with Rabies Attacks 6 People, Including 8-Year-Old: 'I Felt This Horrible Pain'

"She was a lover of life,” Splotch told KFSN. “She spent a lot of time in the mountains where her mother lived. She loved to explore the world, she's a great explorer.”

Seneng, who leaves behind a husband and daughter, enjoyed her summer vacation that included a trip to Bali, according to Splotch, NBC News reported.

The friend has established a GoFundMe on behalf of Seneng’s family. As of the afternoon of Dec. 4, the fundraiser has raised over $7,000.

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Seneng’s death is the first one involving rabies in Fresno County in 32 years, ABC affiliate KABC reported. The Fresno Fresno County Department of Public Health said there is no threat to the public, according to the report.

A spokesperson for the Merced County Department of Public Health tells PEOPLE that the case is still being investigated and that the department is notifying close contacts and family members and offering preventative care.

The spokesperson added that the department cannot comment further until the investigation is complete.

Related: Virginia Woman Dies From Rabies After Doctors Misdiagnose Her with Anxiety

Meanwhile, Schwab tells PEOPLE that the district is cooperating with the Merced County Department of Public Health on their investigation. He shared that the district was stunned to learn that Seneng’s death was related to her contracting rabies.

“We live and work in a community known to have bats and other wildlife around school grounds, and we will continue to help educate our community regarding the dangers associated with coming into direct contact with any wild animal, including bats,” he wrote.

Schwab added, “District staff are trained to handle situations with wild animals, including bats, and we urge everyone to report any sightings to school administrators so they can take appropriate measures."

Read the original article on People