Man Dies from Bat Bite - A Cautionary Tale

Rabid animals are found throughout the country, mostly wildlife, and the main carrier of the rabies virus varies geographically. For example, rabies cases in animals nationwide (2011) were 1,981 raccoons (32.8 % of the total), 1,627 skunks (27%), 1,380 bats (22.9%), 427 foxes (7.1%), 303 cats (5.0%), 65 cattle (1.1%), and 70 dogs (1.2%). In Illinois, bats were number one and have been for years. But no matter what part of the country you are in, consider all wildlife to potentially have rabies, especially if acting strangely (mad dogs and friendly foxes, is the old saying). Be careful handling wildlife and do not put yourself at risk. If you are bitten, seek medical assistance, do not take any chances. Here is a cautionary tale about a man who was bit by a bat, ignored it, and paid the ultimate price for his lack of action.

Man dies of rabies from bat bite in Contra Costa County

October 5, 2012

 

A 34-year-old man died in Switzerland over the summer from rabies contracted from a bat in Contra Costa County (California)– the first death rabies death traced to the county in nearly 20 years, officials announced Friday.

The man, whose name has not been released, became ill before leaving the United States to work overseas. He died in a hospital in July, according to Contra Costa Health Services.

Tests later confirmed rabies as the cause of death. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was notified of the death in late August and launched an investigation. It concluded the man had probably been infected in March after touching a bat in southern Contra Costa County, said Erika Jenssen, head of Contra Costa Public Health’s communicable disease program.

“Tragically, this man died from rabies,” Jenssen said in the statement. “It’s critical that people who have been bitten by bats or wild animals seek medical attention immediately.”

Three bats tested positive for rabies in the county this year. Last year in California, 211 of 223 animals that tested positive for rabies were bats, said Curtis Fritz, state public health veterinarian with the California Department of Public Health, in a statement.

In its last fatal rabies case, a man who had been bitten by a rabid dog in Mexico traveled to Contra Costa County, where he became sick and died, in 1993.