Kentucky resident dies of rabies in rare human case of disease

Bill Estep, Lexington Herald-Leader on Dec 28, 2024

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LEXINGTON, Ky. — A northern Kentucky resident has died of rabies, the state Department for Public Health announced Friday.

Officials did not release the person’s name or disclose whether the victim was a man or woman.

Health officials had not yet been able to pinpoint how the person contracted the disease but said it may have happened during travel outside the U.S.

The person was treated in both Kentucky and Ohio, so health authorities in both states are working with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to investigate the case.

Dr. Steven Stack, commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Public Health, said in the release that it is critical for people to get medical care immediately after any suspected exposure to rabies, a virus that affects the brain.

“Unfortunately, if left untreated rabies is usually fatal,” Stack said.

According to the release, passing rabies from one human to another is rare, but as a precaution, health officials are assessing people who were in contact with the person who died.

Rabies is typically spread through bites and scratches from an infected animal, or from infected saliva or mucus entering the eyes, nose, mouth or open wounds, according to the release.

The most common carriers of rabies in Kentucky are bats and skunks, but any mammal can be infected, health officials said.

It is important to keep pets current on rabies vaccinations and to avoid contact with wild animals to reduce the risk of rabies, the release said.

Officials said rabies infections are rare because of pet vaccinations and efforts to control wildlife. The last Kentucky resident with a confirmed rabies infection was in 1996, according to the release.