A man dies in Louisiana after being bitten by a rabid vampire — bat, that is. It sounds like an episode of “True Blood,” HBO’s series that follows the fictional doings of Louisiana vampires.

But no, this was an actual missive from Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the journal of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention covering all things infectious and deadly.

Death by rabies has become exceedingly rare in the United States, averaging one or two cases a year. Still, this man’s death is a reminder that rabies is still very much with us, and can be deadly when a person doesn’t get treatment soon after being bitten by a rabid animal.

Rabies is most commonly spread in the United States by raccoons, followed by plain old insect-eating bats, skunks, and foxes. In recent years most human rabies cases have been caused by bat bites. just four human deaths were recorded in 2009, and this one in 2010.

That’s a big change from the early 1900s, when more than 100 people died each year from rabies. Vaccination of pets and swift post-bite treatment with rabies vaccine is credited with reducing the human toll.

The vampire bat victim, first reported last week, was a 19-year-old migrant farm worker from Mexico. He died a year ago in a new Orleans hospital after being infected by a bite in his home country. his case was was the first report of human rabies caused by a vampire bat in the United States.

People wondering if this is the beginning of a trend can rest easy, at least for now. Vampire bats live in Latin America, and haven’t yet made it to this country.

Doctors at first thought this man’s symptoms of weakness in his left hand and drooping left eyelid were caused by Guillain-Barré syndrome, in which the body’s immune system attacks nerves. But as the man grew sicker, doctors began to suspect rabies. Tests after he died on August 21, 2010, determined that the rabies virus had come from a vampire bat. It usually takes about 85 days for symptoms to appear after a person has been bitten by a rabid animal.

Vampire bats eat about two tablespoons of blood a day. NPR’s Joe Palca reported earlier this month that the vampire bats find their victims by using specialized nerve cells on their faces that sense the warmth of blood under the skin.

To avoid potentially deadly encounters with rabid animals, the CDC recommends making sure all pets are vaccinated, and to avoid contact with wild animals. If you are bitten by an animal and have any rabies symptoms, it’s crucial to seek treatment immediately.

my dog killed 2 baby rabbits hes a chiuahuah<–excuse spelling well my mom said he got his rabies vaccine (every year) but i was just wondering its been 2 weeks, if he wasnt vaccinated and the rabbit had rabies would he have died/shown signs? do rabbits often have rabies?

No rabbits don't usually have rabies, whatever bites them usually kills them(or infection does). He wouldn't have died but he would probably be starting to show signs(agression, hydraphobia, confusion, foaming at the mouth, etc). I don't know if you're worried or just curious but I don't think there's anything to worry about

Rabbits and squirrels cannot carry or contract rabies. they can give your dog scabies but that's about it. You don't have to worry about your dog getting rabies. If it was a raccoon then you would have to worry.

Reporter: Rachel Schaerr l Videographer: Dan Heffner

Bedford Co., VA – the Central Virginia Health Department is warning Bedford County residents to be extra vigilant after a rabid coyote attacked a family's dog. About 25 letters went out to neighbors after the February 14th attack on Glass Hill Road.

The dog was bitten on its leg but fortunately it was up to date on its rabies vaccine and expected to be fine. this is the first confirmed case of rabies in the county so far this year.

The dog's owner Dee Arrington woke-up at 1:30 a.m. to find three-year-old Dixie yelping and a coyote circling the dog house.

“It just looked real creepy it was like lurking around the dog house real slow,” Arrington said.

Dixie had bite marks on her hind legs. Arrington says if she wasn't tied up, the coyote probably would have dragged her off and killed her.

Arrington's husband grabbed his gun and killed the coyote. the image of that night is still fresh in Dee Harrington's mind.

“When I start the car in the morning I just look around,” Arrington said.

After taking pictures of the dead animal, the Arringtons called animal control and had it tested for rabies. they came back positive, no surprise to their stepdaughters who saw it acting strangely the day before.

“They had stopped and seen it just kind of walking around and it had circled the truck. they took pictures of it on their cell phone,” Arrington said.

Steve Simpson, the Environmental Manager for the Central Virginia Health District says rabies symptoms range from paralysis, blindness, aggressiveness or an animal that just lies around. last year 11 animals in Bedford County tested positive for rabies. More rabies attacks are reported in the springtime because it's mating season.

If you suspect an animal is rabid, call your local animal control first and then report it to the department of health.

Rabies is a disease, which man acquires from vertebrate animals. The disease is caused by a virus infecting the nervous tissue. Rabies causes 100% mortality if the human beings bitten by rabid animal and are not adequately vaccinated. Rabies is a disease of antiquity, having been known to mankind probably earlier than 2000 BC. Clinically, in both animals and man, rabiescan manifest either in the form of hyperactivity (furious rabies) or paralysis (paralytic or dumb rabies). Human beings if not given prophylactic vaccination after animal bite always develop furious type rabies, whereas around 25% of dogs develop furious type rabies. Excessive salivation and lacrimation may also be present in affected animals and human beings. Hydrophobia (fear from water) may also be present in majority of the cases. no drugs work after the development of symptoms of rabies and patients lapse into coma and die. Millions of people are treated worldwide with post bite prophylactic vaccination for suspected rabid dog bites, every year.

The great Louis Pasteur was the first authority to make rabies vaccine by inactivating rabies virus obtained from the spinal cord of infected rabbit. The ‘old stock vaccine‘ is made from the monkey’s nervous tissue and 12 to 14 injections of this vaccine are required for 100% protection. Almost half of people vaccinated with ‘old stock vaccine‘ may have appreciable local side effects and only 5 in 10,000 may have serious side effects. The latest anti-rabies vaccines have minimal side effects. The Purified Chick Embryo Cell (PCEC) and Human Diploid Cell (HDC) vaccines give 100% protection not only to those who are bitten by rabid dogs but also to those who work with rabies virus and handle reservoir animals. all vaccines are easily available worldwide at reasonable rates. Neurological complications may develop in persons vaccinated with ‘old stock vaccine‘.

Incubation Period: The incubation period of rabies disease is usually between one and two months. in extreme cases incubation period may be a few days or rarely, even years. The site of the bite is indicative in determining the length of incubation period. Infants and children have a shorter incubation period than adults. Restlessness, agitation, excitation, confusion, muscle spasms, hallucinations, thought disorders and hydrophobia are common signs of possibility of development of rabies in person infected with rabies virus.

Diagnosis: The diagnosis of rabies in animals is made by microscopic examination of stained brain smears or histological sections for Negri bodies. The biological test for rabies is intra-cerebral inoculation of mice with the nervous tissue squash of animals or body secretions of infected human beings and isolation of virus from inoculated mice after an incubation period of 1-2 weeks. in human beings the rabies virus can directly be isolated from saliva, urine and cerebrospinal fluid, and revealed by electron microscopic study.

My GSD has been fully vaccinated. But still i'm worried that if he is getting rabies or not. because untill now the only symptom i see is that he has lost his eating appetite. and should the person he bit immediately get anti rabie shots ??

Oh my God.no,if your dog has his rabies vaccine then HE CANNOT GET RABIES.I don't know what's so hard to understand about that.if you're that concerned,really,then go get him another rabies shot.$20.00 down the tube and you and the rest of the people who seem to think that getting their dogs shots mean nothing and they can still contract the diseases YOU PAID TO MAKE THEM IMMUNE TOO can stop your ridiculous worrying.Jesus Christ.

When the person who got bit reports your dog to Animal control as being out of control and a agressive dangerous dog who attacked him, then Animal control will come and take your dog away and do a rabies test before they destroy your dog.

actually turborobodgs speak for only some areas of the US in some the three bite rule still applies if he's vaccinated he may not be required to be put down but WILL be quarenteined for 10 days if he's still alive then he does nto have rabies

It was pointed out to me that the penalties are area specific, so i have modified my answer. the area i know of will put am aggressive dog down if it attacks and bites a human. Animal control will test it for rabies first, so if you lived there, you`ll soon know if he passed on rabies. you may be looking at quite a lawsuit though, at the very least you`ll have to cover some medical bills and pay a fine.

My GSD has been fully vaccinated. But still i'm worried that if he is getting rabies or not. Because untill now the only symptom i see is that he has lost his eating appetite. and should the person he bit immediately get anti rabie shots ??

Oh my God.no,if your dog has his rabies vaccine then HE CANNOT GET RABIES.I don't know what's so hard to understand about that.if you're that concerned,really,then go get him another rabies shot.$20.00 down the tube and you and the rest of the people who seem to think that getting their dogs shots mean nothing and they can still contract the diseases YOU PAID TO MAKE THEM IMMUNE TOO can stop your ridiculous worrying.Jesus Christ.

When the person who got bit reports your dog to Animal control as being out of control and a agressive dangerous dog who attacked him, then Animal control will come and take your dog away and do a rabies test before they destroy your dog.

actually turborobodgs speak for only some areas of the US in some the three bite rule still applies
if he's vaccinated he may not be required to be put down but WILL be quarenteined for 10 days if he's still alive then he does nto have rabies

It was pointed out to me that the penalties are area specific, so i have modified my answer. The area i know of will put am aggressive dog down if it attacks and bites a human. Animal control will test it for rabies first, so if you lived there, you`ll soon know if he passed on rabies. You may be looking at quite a lawsuit though, at the very least you`ll have to cover some medical bills and pay a fine.