Illinois Man Died From Rabies After Bat Bite

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) reporting on September 28, 2021, the first human case of rabies and related death in Illinois since 1954. 

The IDPH says a Lake County resident in his 80s awoke to a bat on his neck in early August 2021. Subsuquentially, the bat was captured and tested positive for rabies. Wildlife experts did find a bat colony in the home of the individual.

The individual was advised he needed to start postexposure rabies treatment but declined.

One month later, the individual began experiencing symptoms consistent with rabies, including neck pain, headache, difficulty controlling his arms, finger numbness, and difficulty speaking. 

People who had contact with secretions from the individual were assessed and given rabies preventive treatment as needed.

The rabies virus infects the central nervous system, ultimately causing disease in the brain and death. Without preventive treatment, rabies is typically fatal. 

“Rabies has the highest mortality rate of any disease,” stated IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike in a press statement. 

“However, there is a life-saving treatment for individuals who quickly seek care after being exposed to an animal with rabies. If you think you may have been exposed to rabies, immediately seek medical attention and follow the recommendations of health care providers and public health officials.”

While cases of human rabies in the United States are rare, rabies exposures are still common. At an international level, about 60,000 people die every year from this disease, mainly in Asia and Africa, reports the WHO.

The U.S. CDC estimates 60,000 Americans receive post-exposure vaccination series each year.

Bats are the most commonly identified species with rabies in Illinois and the USA. Globally, dogs are most often infected with rabies.

However, Oneida County Health Department in New York reported a cat tested positive for rabies in the Town of Marcy on September 10, 2021. Two people were exposed to the cat and received post-exposure prophylaxis. Two dogs were also exposed to the cat.

Rabies vaccines are used worldwide to prevent rabies before and for some time after exposure to the rabies virus, says the U.S. CDC.

There are several rabies vaccines available that are both safe and effective. An updated listing is available at this link.