Rabies Claims Lives in US and India

An 84-year-old man from Minnesota died from rabies after waking up to a rabid bat biting his hand. He washed his hands with soap and water and received post-exposure prophylaxis treatment, but still died five months later. This is the first recorded US case of a rabies patient dying after receiving prophylaxis treatment in a 'timely and appropriate' manner. Rabies is a virtually always fatal infection unless patients are administered medications before symptoms emerge.