Man in Louisiana Dies From Rabies After Being Bitten by Vampire Bat
Posted on August 12, 2011
A 19-year-old farm hand in Louisiana has died after being bitten by a vampire bat. The young man contracted rabies from the bite. This is first case of a person dying from rabies caused by a vampire bat bite in the United States. The bite itself occurred in Mexico.
The migrant worker died from rabies last year about five weeks after being bitten on the left heel by a vampire bat in Mexico. CNN reports that the CDC is urging doctors with patients suffering from inflammation of the brain to consider rabies as a possible cause. A year seems like a long time to wait before issuing a warning. The report only recently appeared in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly.
ABC News reports that the CDC is concerned is that vampire bat populations will become established in the United States because of rising temperatures. Take a look: