A fatal case of rabies returns to the United States after almost 70 years.

The victim is an 80-year-old man from Ilinois, who died after contracting the viral disease that usually affects the nervous system. Disease he allegedly contracted after coming into contact with a bat.

According to the Illinois Department of Health, the elder woke up with the animal on his neck a few weeks ago. He informed the doctors but refused the usual rabies vaccination. A month later she began to experience the first symptoms, including neck pain, headache, difficulty in controlling her arms and speaking, numbness of the fingers. Then his conditions plummeted, until his death.

According to data from the CDC this is the first death from rabies since 1946. The same federal body that deals with public health, cases of rabies in humans are rare in the United States as the disease is preventable and treatable. Usually 1-3 cases are recorded every year while in 2019 none have occurred. However, exposures to rabies are much more common: just think that every year there are about 60,000 Americans who contract it and are treated thanks to vaccinations.

(Unioneonline / lf)

© Riproduzione riservata