By Bahar Gholipour, Staff Writer
Published: 08/15/2013 02:45 PM EDT on LiveScience
A South Carolina woman who died from rabies she contracted from bats in her home might have been saved if she had been told of rabies risks associated with bats, according to a new report of her case.
The 46-year-old woman, who died in December 2011, was the first person to die from rabies in South Carolina in more than 50 years, according to the report published today (Aug. 15) by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She had sought information from a local county animal control service on having bats removed from her home, but was not advised of the rabies risks associated with bats.
"Lack of referral to guidance concerning health risks associated with bats living in the home was possibly a missed opportunity to prevent rabies infection," CDC researchers wrote in the report.
Shots of rabies vaccine prevent the infection from taking hold after someone is bitten by an animal carrying the virus. People who have seen bats in their homes are generally advised to seek treatment because bats have small teeth, and bites that occur during sleep can go unnoticed. The vaccine is almost always effective if given before rabies symptoms appear.
The South Carolina woman awoke one summer night to find a bat in her room. She shook the animal out of her curtains, and it flew off through a window, her family later said. [10 Deadly Diseases That Hopped Across Species]
In December, she went to the hospital with shortness of breath, excessive sweating and chills. Her symptoms were similar to those of heart disease, and she had had heart problems in the past, so she was transferred to another hospital to be examined by her cardiologist.
But a few hours after her arrival at the new hospital, she stopped breathing and was transferred to the intensive care unit, where she was put on a ventilator for several days. Her condition worsened, and her organs started to fail.
Five days after she was admitted to the hospital, additional interviews with her family revealed that she had seen bats in her home the previous summer. Her doctors sent samples of her skin and saliva to the CDC to be tested for rabies.
The tests came back positive, but it was too late to administer the vaccine to the woman, who died several days later. The family members, and anyone at the hospital from the ambulance personnel to administrative staff who reported possible contact with the patient were given vaccine shots.
The rabies virus that had infected the woman was a strain found in Mexican free-tailed bats, the CDC investigations showed.
The number of human deaths from rabies in the United States has declined over the past century, to as low as one or two yearly in the 1990s. Bats are responsible for the majority of cases. Since 1995, more than 90 percent of people who got rabies in the United States contracted it from bats.
The rabies virus infects the central nervous system, and causes inflammation in the brain and, ultimately, death. The early symptoms of rabies in people are fever, headache and general weakness or discomfort, and can be mistakenly attributed to other illnesses.
Therefore, the CDC researchers recommended considering rabies in any progressive encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) that doesn’t have clear cause.
The woman's case "highlights the importance of strong partnerships among public health officials and diverse non–health-care partners," the report said.
People who see bats in or around their homes might reach out to a variety of groups, including animal control, law enforcement or wildlife agencies, and it is important that these entities have strong partnerships and clear communication so that they can appropriately refer people exposed to bats for risk assessment and treatment, the report said.
Email Bahar Gholipour or follow her @alterwired. Follow LiveScience @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on LiveScience.
Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ]]>
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.