WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Rabies in bats have been confirmed in Kent, Allegan and Calhoun counties of Michigan, according to the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services, and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
Rabies is a viral disease, which infects the central nervous system of all mammals, causing disease in the brain and eventually death.
Earlier this year, rabid bats cases were confirmed in Berrien and St. Clair counties in Michigan.
Overall, 14 cases have been confirmed across Michigan in 2024, compared to last year's 55 cases in Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph and Van Buren counties.
Rabies is mostly found in wild animals like bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
The disease is usually transmitted through the bite or a scratch of a rabid animal.
According to Mayo Clinic, the initial symptoms of rabies are similar to the flu. Later, the symptoms develop into fever, headache, vomiting, nausea, agitation, confusion, excessive salivation, hallucinations, and partial paralysis.
Rabies can be prevented in a person potentially exposed to the disease by taking a series of injections called Rabies Postexposure Prophylaxis.
Health officials have advised public to keep all pet animals up to date on rabies vaccine, and put screens on doors and windows to prevent bats from entering homes.
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