- A man in Idaho died of
rabies after leaving a bat bite untreated for weeks. - A bat became trapped in the man's clothes when he was outside on his property in August, according to officials.
An Idaho man died of rabies in October after a bat bit him, and he failed to get treatment, according to public
In August, the man was outdoors on his property when a bat flew towards him and became tangled in his clothing, according to a November 4 press release from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.
The unnamed man didn't notice any bites or scratches, so he ignored the incident until he became ill in October. He went to a hospital in Boise and died shortly after.
Tests done after the man's death revealed he died from a rabies infection. He was the first person in the state to die of rabies since 1978.
This isn't the first time someone has died after skipping rabies treatment. In September, a man in Illinois died after a bat bit him, and he refused a post-infection vaccine, Insider previously reported. Experts say bat bites can be difficult to notice because the creatures' small teeth don't always leave lesions on the skin. It's also impossible to tell if an animal has rabies based on appearance alone, according to the CDC.
"This tragic case highlights how important it is that Idahoans are aware of the risk of rabies exposure," epidemiologist Dr. Christine Hahn, the medical director for Idaho Division of Public Health, said in the press release. "Although deaths are rare, it is critical that people exposed to a bat receive appropriate treatment to prevent the onset of rabies as soon as possible."
A rabies vaccine, which is administered after an infection, can protect a person from dying of the virus. But if left untreated in mammals, the virus can attack the nervous system and brain and lead to death.