Rabies confirmed in Fond du Lac County teen hurt by batBy KAWANZA L. GRIFFIN
kgriffin@journalsentinel.comPosted: Oct. 20, 2004
A Fond du Lac County teenager has become the second person in four years to contract rabies in Wisconsin, state health officials confirmed Wednesday.
Rabies History
The last confirmed case in Wisconsin was in 2000 - the first in 41 years - and resulted from a bat bite.
On The Web
Rabies: National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Test results from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta indicate that the youth was infected with a type of rabies virus found in bats. The teen reported being superficially scratched or bitten by a bat at church in September after picking it up by its wings, and indicated that the wound had been thoroughly washed after the incident.
Though there were no immediate signs of harm, the youth was hospitalized Oct. 15, complaining of classic symptoms associated with the illness.
According to the CDC, early symptoms in humans include fever, headache and general malaise, but as the disease progresses, neurological symptoms appear and may include insomnia, anxiety, confusion, slight or partial paralysis, hallucinations and difficulty swallowing.
The teen was diagnosed with rabies on Tuesday, based on the reported bat bite and results from neurological tests, said Jim Kazmierczak, state public health veterinarian.
The teen, whose family requested that no other information be released, remains hospitalized.
Rabies is a potentially fatal viral disease that is usually transmitted through a bite from an infected animal. The disease is preventable if a person gets medical treatment after rabies exposure but before symptoms begin.
The number of rabies-related human deaths in the United States has declined from more than 100 a year at the turn of the 20th century to one or two per year in the 1990s, the CDC says.
"With the rare exception of tissue transplants, person-to-person transmission of rabies has never been documented," Kazmierczak said.
He said that the state Division of Public Health is working with the Fond du Lac County Health Department and local health care providers to assess the risk to any of the patient's contacts. Anyone believed to have had a significant exposure may need to receive preventive treatment for rabies.
The last confirmed case in Wisconsin was in 2000 - the first in 41 years - and resulted from a bat bite.
That year, a 69-year-old Sauk County man died of rabies after being admitted to the hospital on Oct. 14 with complaints of headache and general discomfort. Two days later, he was transferred to the intensive care unit with a diagnosis of suspected herpetic encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain.
Officials diagnosed rabies after his death on Nov. 1.
"Bat bites are certainly very vexing, and some people may not notice when they get them," said epidemiologist Jeffrey Davis, the state's chief medical officer.
"If there's virus in the saliva and there's a bite, then transmission can occur," he said.
To help minimize the spread of the disease, public health officials recommend that people keep their pets immunized, and avoid contact with all wild animals. If you are bitten, wash the area with plenty of soap and water and contact a health care provider and your local health department immediately.
from here:
http://www.jsonline.com/news/state/oct04/268268.aspsad IMHO, there is no cure for rabies once symtoms appear. this poor girl is going to die and nothing can be done about it.
personally im sending some prayers her way.
