A man dies from rabies after being bitten by a bat

A Northern Michigan man is dead after officials say he was bitten by a bat.

Officials with the District Health Department #10 say they can't release many details on the case due to privacy issues, but say it happened in a northern county it serves.  Counties covered by District #10 include Crawford, Kalkaska, Lake, Manistee, Mason, Mecosta, Missaukee, Newaygo, Oceana and Wexford.

Health officials say they do not believe there is a danger of exposure to the public.  The person was bitten several weeks ago and died last week.

The last death due to rabies in Michigan was in 1983.  Rabies is an infectious disease caused by a virus that attacks the nervous system.  It occurs mainly in wild animals, primarily raccoons, skunks, foxes, coyotes and bats.  According to the MDCH the most frequently found rabid animal in the state is the bat. It's important to note, however, that less than 1% of bats are rabid.

Rabies is spread by saliva through the bite of an infected animal.  Non-bite infection is very rare, but may occur when wet saliva comes in contact with the yes or mouth, or contaminates fresh open wounds. 

Human rabies is rare in the U.S. with only 55 cases diagnosed since 1990.  Officials say rabies is almost always fatal once the virus reaches the brain and symptoms begin.  It's not possible to tell for sure if an animal has rabies just by looking.  Rabies can be positively diagnosed only by laboratory testing of nervous tissue.

Suspicious signs of rabies in animals include agitation, aggressiveness, excessive drooling, loss of fear of humans and eventually paralysis and death. Symptoms of infected people may not appear for several weeks or even months after exposure.  Symptoms in people include general malaise, fatigue, headache and fever.  Rabies is easily prevented in animals by vaccination. 

Human vaccine can prevent rabies when given after exposure to an animal with rabies.  If you have been bitten by any animal take these steps to prevent infection:

• Immediately Wash the wound with soap and water
• Seek medical attention at once
• Antibiotics and a tetanus vaccine may be needed to prevent other would infections
• If possible, have someone carefully and safely capture and confine the animal
• Make sure the bite is reported to your local health department and animal control office

Transmission of rabies from bats can occur after seemingly unimportant or unrecognized contacts.  Officials say bats have very small teeth and can bite without someone realizing it. For more information on rabies click on THIS LINK