Current:Home > NewsMinnesota reports rare human death from rabies-VaTradeCoin
Minnesota reports rare human death from rabies
lotradecoin market View Date:2024-12-25 22:35:59
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota resident who came into contact with a bat in July died of rabies, the state’s department of health announced Friday.
The person’s death marks a rare occurrence, as fewer than 10 people in the the U.S. die from rabies each year, according to the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. The person is over the age of 65 and was exposed to a bat in western Minnesota in July, the Minnesota Department of Health said.
CDC officials confirmed the rabies diagnosis at its lab in Atlanta on Sept. 20. In a news release, the state health department said it was working to evaluate whether more people were exposed to the disease, but said there was no ongoing risk to the public
Officials said the fatal case advised the public to avoid contact with bats, whose teeth are so tiny that a bite may not be felt or even leave a noticeable mark.
Rabies is caused by a virus that invades the central nervous system and is usually fatal in animals and humans. If left untreated, rabies is almost always fatal. But rabies treatment has proven to be nearly highly effective at preventing the disease after an exposure, state health officials said. Treatment must be started before symptoms of rabies appear, they added.
Dr. Stacy Holzbauer, the state public health veterinarian, also advised people to get their household pets and livestock immunized against rabies.
The number of rabies-related human deaths in the U.S. has declined from more than 100 annually in the early 1900s to less than five cases annually in recent years, the health department. About 70% of infections acquired in the country are attributed to bat exposures.
veryGood! (31725)
Related
- Morgan Wallen sentenced after pleading guilty in Nashville chair
- The 30 Most-Loved Fall Favorites From Amazon With Thousands of 5-Star Reviews: Clothes, Decor, and More
- Fall Movie Preview: Hollywood readies for a season with stars on the sidelines
- Best time to book holiday travel is mid-October, expert says: It's the sweet spot
- Jim Leach, former US representative from Iowa, dies at 82
- Ernest Hemingway survived two plane crashes. His letter from it just sold for $237,055
- 5 killed, 3 injured in Atlanta crash that shut down I-85
- Burning Man exodus: Hours-long traffic jam stalls festival-goers finally able to leave
- Supreme Court allows investors’ class action to proceed against microchip company Nvidia
- Georgia Ports Authority pledges $6 million for affordable housing in Savannah area
Ranking
- Travis Kelce Praises Taylor Swift For Making Eras Tour "Best In The World"
- Man who killed 6 members of a Nebraska family in 1975 dies after complaining of chest pain
- Albuquerque prosecutors take new approach to combatting retail theft
- Here's why the US labor movement is so popular but union membership is dwindling.
- Trump taps immigration hard
- Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic foresees interest rates staying higher for longer
- Alex Murdaugh’s lawyers want a new trial. They say the court clerk told jurors not to trust him
- Why dominant win over LSU shows Florida State football is back
Recommendation
-
When is the 'Survivor' Season 47 finale? Here's who's left; how to watch and stream part one
-
Kevin Bacon's Sweet Anniversary Tribute to Kyra Sedgwick Will Make Your Heart Skip a Beat
-
Burning Man 2023: See photos of the burning of the Man at Nevada’s Black Rock Desert
-
Horoscopes Today, September 3, 2023
-
Travis Kelce Praises Taylor Swift For Making Eras Tour "Best In The World"
-
Metal debris strikes car windshield on Maine highway and comes within inches of motorist’s face
-
Nonprofits Candid and Council on Foundations make a rare deal the way corporations do
-
Alex Murdaugh's lawyers allege court clerk tampered with jury in double murder trial