Officials with the Kentucky Department for Public Health has reported that a human has died from a case of rabies in northern Kentucky.
The source of the northern Kentucky resident’s rabies exposure has not yet been identified, and might have possibly occurred outside of the United States during international travel, but that has not been determined. Rabies infections in humans are very rare, due to routine pet vaccinations and other wildlife control. The last Kentucky resident with confirmed rabies was in 1996.
Rabies is typically spread through bites and scratches from an infected animal, or possibly through infected saliva or other bodily fluids entering the body. Human to human transmission of rabies is incredibly rare, but as a precaution, officials are working to ensure that anyone who may have been in contact with the individual are assessed for possible exposure.
In Kentucky, the most common carriers of rabies are bats and skunks, but any mammal can be infected by the virus. To reduce the risk of exposure, it’s best to keep pets up-to-date on their rabies vaccines and avoid contact with wild animals.
Always talk to a healthcare provider immediately if you think you may have been exposed to rabies, particularly if you’ve been bitten or scratched by a wild animal or a stray animal you do not know.