An Illinois man who woke up with a bat in his bedroom has died of rabies – the state’s first human case of the disease …
An Illinois man who woke up with a bat in his bedroom has died of rabies – the state’s first human case of the disease in nearly 70 years, health officials said. The man in his 80s from Lake County whose name was not released “awoke to a bat on his neck” in mid-August, the Illinois Department of Public Health said Tuesday. The bat was captured and later tested positive for rabies – and the man was told he needed to start postexposure treatment, but he declined. One month later, he started having symptoms of the viral disease, including neck pain, headaches, loss of sensation in his fingers, as well as difficulty speaking and controlling his arms. The Department of Health said it was the state’s first human case of rabies since 1954. Wildlife experts later found a bat colony in the man’s home. The mammals are the most commonly identified species with rabies in Illinois, health officials said. “Sadly, this case underscores the importance of raising public awareness about the risk of rabies exposure in the United States,” Lake County Health Department Executive Director Mark Pfister said.
