Rabies scare: Czech scientist bitten by infected bat
In Ostrava in the Czech Republic, a case of rabies from a bat bite was recorded. During the capture of these mammals, a Czech naturalist was bitten. Tests confirmed that the bat was infected with rabies. The scientist was taken to hospital, according to the "Nova" portal.
Czech zoologists undertook an operation to gather information on the bat population. In Ostrava, scientists were capturing these mammals to learn more about their species affiliation, numbers, gender, and age.
During the capture of bats near the Polish border, an accident occurred. One of the mammals bit a zoologist involved in the study. After examining the animal, it turned out that it was infected with rabies.
What to do if a wild animal bites us? If we suspect that it might be infected with rabies, we should immediately see a doctor. Otherwise, we face a deadly danger.
In connection with the case of rabies in a human after a bat bite, the Czech Health Inspection issued guidelines on how to proceed in such cases. Rabies is a very dangerous disease of the nervous system. If untreated, it is almost 100% fatal. From the onset of the first symptoms to death, it usually takes 10 days.
According to the Czech sanitary services, it is important to know that the rabies virus is excreted through saliva, and a human can get infected "through a bite, a scratch from an animal, or saliva from an infected animal getting into a human's wound. There is a risk of aerogenic infection (airborne transmission) among cavers" - reports the tn.nova.cz portal.
In the event of a bite from an unknown animal or infection with rabies, the only way to survive is to receive a vaccine. To be effective, it must be administered as quickly as possible after the bite.
As reported by the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate, no cases of rabies in humans have been recorded in our country for years, due to good prevention. Meanwhile, according to data from the World Health Organisation (WHO), about 60,000 people worldwide die from this disease annually.
The main regions of occurrence are in Asia and Africa. The most cases of rabies are recorded in India (approximately 20,000 per year). However, such cases are also encountered a few times a year in Poland.
