Published Date: 2009-10-28 15:00:14
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Rabies, bat, human - USA: (IN)
Archive Number: 20091028.3733

RABIES, BAT, HUMAN - USA: (INDIANA)
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Date: Tue 27 Oct 2009
Source: WIBC Indiana News [edited]
<http://www.wibc.com/news/Story.aspx?id=1155945>


Indiana resident is state's 2nd rabies death in 50 years
--------------------------------------------------------
State health officials say a southern Indiana resident is the 1st
person to die of rabies in the state since 2006 -- and only the 2nd
human case overall since 1959.

The victim was from Clark County and had not reported any exposures
of concern. Dr James Howell says it usually takes about 1 to 3 months
for a victim to show signs of the disease. Once that happens, his or
her prognosis is usually fatal.

Testing at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates
the source of the Clark County infection was a bat.

Rabies is a virus that attacks the brain and nervous system. It is
estimated 55 000 people die worldwide from rabies each year.

[Byline: Liz Thomas]

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Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
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[This report does not identify the species of bat responsible for
transmission of rabies virus in this case. Previously, on 30 Sep
2006, a 10-year-old girl in Indiana was bitten by a bat and
subsequently died on 2 Nov 2006, despite treatment by the Wisconsin
protocol. This was only the 2nd death from rabies virus infection in
Indiana since 1959.

After genetic sequencing of amplicons obtained from the patient's
skin and saliva, on 14 Oct 2006, the infecting agent was identified
as a rabies virus variant associated with the silver-haired bat,
_Lasionycteris noctivagans_ (for details see MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly
Rep 20 Apr 2007; 56(15); 361-5; available at
<http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5615a1.htm>.)

It may be that the same species of bat was responsible for the
transmission of rabies virus in the current case. However, several
species of insectivorous bats are able to transmit rabies virus in
North America. An exhaustive and up-to-date account of bat rabies in
North America and worldwide has been prepared by the USGS National
Wildlife Health Center: Bat Rabies and Other Lyssavirus Infections.
By Denny G Constantine; available at
<http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/circ1329/pdf/circ1329.pdf>.

A map of the counties of Indiana, showing Clark County in the south
east of the state can be accessed at
<http://www.indianajustice.org/Home/PublicWeb/LegalSvcs/CountyMap>.
The state can be located on the HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map
of the US at
<http://healthmap.org/r/00XW>. - Mod.CP]

See Also

Rabies, bat, human exposure - USA (02): (UT) 20090805.2765
Rabies, bat, human exposure - USA: (FL) 20090624.2304
Rabies, fox, raccoon, bat - USA: (PA, KY, MD), alert 20090524.1936
Rabies, bat, feline & human exposure - USA: (IL) 20090113.0132
2008
----
Rabies, bat, human exposure - USA (06): (MT) 20081009.3203
Rabies, bat, human exposure - USA (05): (MT) 20081005.3146
Rabies, bat, human exposure - USA (04): (AZ) 20080924.3015
Rabies, bat, human exposure - USA (03): (AZ) 20080921.2971
Rabies, bat, human exposure - USA (02): (CO) skunks 20080727.2290
2007
----
Rabies, human, bat - USA: (MN), 2007 20080506.1545
Rabies, bat, human exposure - USA: (TX) 20080411.1323
Rabies, bat, feline, bovine - USA 20071030.3515
Rabies, bat, human exposure - USA (WY) 20070518.1579
2006
----
Rabies, bat, human exposure - USA (IN) (02): human death 20061103.3150
Rabies, bat, human exposure - USA (IN) 20061018.2987
2005
----
Rabies, human, bat - USA (MS) 20051020.3058
2004
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Rabies, human, bat - USA (WI) (07): recovery 20041231.3459
Rabies, human, bat - USA (WI) 20041021.2853
2002
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Rabies, human and bat - USA (Tennessee): alert 20020913.5298
Rabies, human, bat - USA (California) 20020810.5016
1999
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Rabies, bat strains - USA (San Diego) 19990709.1146
1998
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Rabies, exposure of child to rabid bat - USA (Virginia) 19980427.0792
1997
----
Rabies, human, bat - USA (Texas) (02) 19971103.2248
Rabies, human, bat - USA (Texas) 19971101.2230
Rabies, human, bat - USA (New Jersey) 19971027.2196
1996
----
Rabies, human, bat - USA (Kentucky, Montana) 1996 19970510.0969
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