For the first time in almost 70 years, an Illinois resident has died from a rabies infection.
The Lake County man, identified only as a man in his 80s, was bitten in mid-August by a bat, which was captured and tested positive for rabies, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
The man was urged to get treatment, but he “declined.”
A month later, he began suffering neck pain, headache, difficulty controlling his arms, finger numbness, and difficulty speaking, all symptoms of rabies.
Then he died.
“Rabies has the highest mortality rate of any disease,” IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said in a statement.
“However, there is life-saving treatment for individuals who quickly seek care after being exposed to an animal with rabies. If you think you may have been exposed to rabies, immediately seek medical attention and follow the recommendations of health care providers and public health officials.”
The man is Illinois’ first human case of rabies since 1954, according to health officials.
U.S. rabies deaths only hit between one and three a year, according to the IDPH, although about 60,000 people are exposed annually.
