A fifties died in Australia of an “extremely rare” virus similar to rage, transmitted by a bat bite, the health authorities announced on Thursday.
“We express our sincere condolences to family and friends” of the deceased Australian “for their tragic loss,” wrote the health service of the Southern South Wales in the south-east of the country, in a press release.
The man was bitten by one of these mammals, carrying the Lyssavirus of the Australian bat several months ago. He had been hospitalized this week in a “critical state”.
The virus, close to the rage which does not exist in Australia, is transmitted when the saliva of a bat enters the human body through a bite or a scratch.
The first symptoms can take several days or even years to appear. They look like those of the flu: headache, fever and fatigue, depending on health services. The victim’s state deteriorates quickly, causing paralysis, delirium, convulsions and death.
Three previous cases of human infection by the Lyssavirus of the Australian bat have been identified since its identification in 1996, all deadly.
People should avoid touching or manipulating bats, as all Australian specimens can carry Lyssavirus, warned the health service of South Wales.
