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a Illinois man died this month after being bitten by a bat in the state’s first human case of rabies since 1954.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) said in a statement that the Lake County man, in his 60s, refused to start post-exposure rabies treatment after the August incident.
ILLINOIS MAN DEADS OF RABIES IN FIRST HUMAN CASE OF STATE SINCE 1950s
A month later, the man began to experience symptoms of rabies and subsequently died.
The bat tested positive for rabies and a bat colony was later found in the man’s house.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says rabies only affects mammals and is a preventable viral disease most often transmitted by the bite of a rabid animal, especially bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes.
Pets can also contract rabies, although almost all pets that have contracted rabies have not been vaccinated or have not been up to date with their vaccination.
The virus infects the central nervous system, ultimately causing brain disease and death.
In the United States, more than 90% of reported cases of rabies in animals occur in wild animals and only one to three cases are reported in humans each year, although approximately 55,000 Americans suffer from it. post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) every year to prevent infection with rabies after being bitten or scratched by an infected animal or suspected of being infected.
Seven in ten Americans who die from rabies in the United States are infected with bats – the leading cause of human rabies death in the country, according to the agency.
In Illinois, bats are the most common rabies carrier species, and at least 30 bats have tested positive for rabies in the state this year.
The rabies virus is spread by direct contact with saliva or tissue in the brain or nervous system of an infected animal.
Although both bite and non-bite exposures can theoretically transmit rabies, no such case has been documented.
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Occasional contact with a person with rabies or contact with non-infectious fluid or tissue is not associated with a risk of infection.
In addition, the rabies virus becomes non-infectious when it dries out or is exposed to the sun.
Symptoms of rabies in animals can vary, but are often similar to those in humans.s.
After exposure, the virus must travel to the brain before symptoms appear, in what the CDC calls an “incubation period” that can last from weeks to months depending on the location of the site. exposure, type of virus and any existing immunity.
The first symptoms of rabies are like those of the flu, including weakness, discomfort, fever, or headache.
Itching or tingling at the site of the bite or exposure may progress to acute symptoms of brain dysfunction, anxiety, confusion, agitation, delirium, abnormal behavior, hallucinations, hydrophobia and insomnia.
The most severe period of the disease usually ends after two to ten days, and the disease is almost always fatal.
Fewer than 20 cases of human survival due to clinical rabies have been documented to date and only a few survivors had no history of pre- or post-exposure prophylaxis.
Globally, rabies causes approximately 59,000 deaths each year.
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Rabies can be prevented by vaccinating pets, avoiding wild animals, and seeking medical attention after potential exposures before symptoms start.
Any bites or scratches should be washed off immediately with soap and water, and those who are bitten or scratched are encouraged to speak to a health care provider to find out if they need post-exposure prophylaxis.
Bradford Betz of Fox News contributed to this report.
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