While there were no visible signs of an infection on his hand immediately after the bite, the man received post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) rabies treatmentafter the bat tested positive for rabieson July 30.
Researchers add that the man had not previously been vaccinated for rabies before receiving the bite and that his wife also received treatment to prevent possible contamination. Although he received three additional doses of the vaccine after his initial treatment, he “developed right-sided facial paroxysms of severe pain with excessive right eye-lacrimation” in January 2021.
According to the study, the man was evaluated on Jan. 7. He was hospitalized a few days later on Jan. 14 “with worsening facial pain and paresthesia, generalized weakness, and decreased oral intake secondary to dysphagia.”
After his symptoms worsened, “supportive care was withdrawn, and the patient died 15 days after symptom onset on Jan. 22,” the study adds.
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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 5,000 animal rabies cases are reported yearly, withmore than 90% occurring in wildlife. “Of the infections acquired in the United States, 70% were attributed to bat exposures,” the CDC explains on its website.
Although the number of rabies-related human deaths in the U.S. has significantly declined, the CDC urges individuals to seek immediate care after possible contamination. The CDC explains that “this is ofparticular concern for bat bitessince bats can have small teeth and leave bite marks that are the size of the tip of a pencil.”
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While the rabies virus has to travel to the brain before it can cause symptoms, the CDC adds that individualscan look for signs similar to the flu, including weakness or discomfort, fever, or headache.
source: people.com
