FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KMJ/KFSN) — Fresno County health officials have confirmed that a person has died from rabies.
The Public Health Department says it believes the patient was bitten by a bat in Merced County.
Officials are now notifying individuals who may have been exposed, as well as preparing medical providers in the community on response measures.
Rabies is a fatal disease caused by a virus that attacks the brain and nervous system.
In the United States, more than 90% of rabies cases are from a wild animal.
KMJ’s News Partner, Action News, spoke with Dr. Geetha Sivasubramanian with UCSF Fresno, who said seven out of 10 people who get infected with rabies get the virus from a bat.
Potentially tragic outcomes can be prevented if an exposed person or animal receives a series of rabies vaccine shots.
They should get them as soon as possible after the exposure, even if there are no symptoms.
