Posted on 11/09/2018 4:34:22 AM PST by BenLurkin
She said it wasn't until he died on November 4 that they realized he had been infected with rabies.
"Usually within a couple of weeks the person will have swelling of the brain, swelling of the spine, and will be placed in a coma, and will pass away," said Dallin Peterson, epidemiologist at the Utah Health Department.
The state health department said they believe Giles contracted rabies from a likely source: a bat.
"He would just catch them, put them outside," Sedgwick said. "I know that my mom has always thought that bats were really cute, so he would sit there and hold them for her and let her pet their little heads, and they would lick them, but they never really thought anything of it."
I would say “Darwin Award” except that he has already reproduced. What an idiot.
How sad, but avoidable.
Bats are like, the bubonic plague in airborne form.
No excellence in handling wild animals, either.
And prior reproduction doesn’t count; just removal from gene pool.
Holy carp. No wonder America is going from red to blue.
MORONI, Utah — A Utah man is dead in what’s believed to be the first fatal case of rabies in Utah in over 70 years.
—
Irony that.
Nonsense. Bats are a highly-diverse group of animals with many fascinating characteristics, extremely beneficial to humans as insect-predators and pollinators.
Yes, some of them carry dangerous diseases - as do many other animals and a lot of humans - but the chance of your being infected by one is statistically zero, unless you do something really stupid like hug and lick them.
Don’t get bitten.
I won’t. I don’t get bats out of my attic (if I have any) and hug and kiss them.
Check out the “Family hospital selfie with the dying guy” at the link.
A friend of mine had accidental contact with one and had to get shots. Not fun.
I got bit by a bat and it hurt like hell. I don’t see how anyone could sleep through that event.
Giles contracted rabies from a likely source: a bat. “
When I read the headline my first thought was BAT!
I have nothing against bats but I would never touch one (or at least not without plenty of protection and even then if there was no other option)
It is awfully tacky. They also have a GoFundMe request for $100K for medical & funeral expenses, only have $6k+ so far. I feel badly for the family and the man. Unbelievable they did not know about rabies danger.
Rabid bats are pretty much only a danger to phenomenally stupid people who think that playing with them is a good idea, such as this guy.
Remember the BEAR man? He had a connection to Kodiak Brown Bears until one ate him and his girlfriend.
About 5 years ago there was a death in Maryland caused by a transplanted kidney.
RE: won’t get bitten unless you do something really stupid
Wrong. Majority of rabies deaths (about 10/yr in U.S.) are from bat bites where the person didn’t feel the bite at all, or didn’t know it was dangerous. Incidents like surprised a bat in their attic, was cleaning a chimney where there were bats, spelunking in a bat cave. That’s why rabies shots are recommended for spelunkers.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.