Loreto : Health brigades sent to investigate deaths from suspected Rabid Vampire Bats!

The Ministry of Health (MINSA), through the Regional Health Authority (Diresa) Loreto, sent crews with specialized personnel to the Morona District of Loreto, [to investigate a] possible outbreak of rabies transmitted by the bite of bats that have caused the deaths of 5 people from the Huambisa ethnic group. In this regard, the coordinator of the MINSA Zoonosis Health MINSA, Dr Ana Maria Navarro, said that after learning of the events there was immediate coordination with the Department of Epidemiology of the Diresa to form an intervention brigade in the area. This group consists of infectious disease physicians, epidemiologists, veterinarians, laboratory staff and environmental health staff and immunizations, aimed at determining the existence of a rabies outbreak as well as investigating the epidemiological situation in the area, in addition to vaccinating those people in the communities that had been exposed to bat bites. "Our staff is taking all necessary equipment for the intervention [control measure], such as 700 doses of rabies vaccine, syringes, scalpels, masks and materials to catch the vampire bats on which they have to do the analyses," she said. Ana Maria Navarro, explained that there will be a search for people at risk of rabies in the communities with evidence of bat bites. In addition, the staff will be reactivated and the community surveillance chain will be strengthened in those areas [zones] with a risk of transmission of wildlife rabies, by training health promoters and teachers in the communities visited. On the other hand, there will be coordination with the Education sector authorities to reactivate the implementation of Sentinnel Surveillance in the school population in schools in the area and will work in educating the public about the control and prevention of human rabies transmitted by bats.

Source







Thats all we need right at the moment , killer bats!

[edit on 7-11-2009 by VitalOverdose]

This really isn't much in the way of news. Bats have long been known to be a vector for rabies. A rabid bat, like any other rabid animal, is dangerous. A bat may be somewhat more dangerous because it can fly and possibly get into places other animals can't reach. But yes, a rabid bat is a threat.

Isn't B horror movies manifesting in real life one of the 7 Signs of the Apocalypse??

Also, this is scary stuff! If they team up with the owls from the Fourth Kind then we a totally screwed.

reply to post by chiron613


Bat bites on humans are rare and to get 5 happen at the same time that resulted in deaths would be very unusual. This might be an indication that something odd is happening in the animal world.

[edit on 7-11-2009 by VitalOverdose]

reply to post by VitalOverdose


Okay. Do you have any idea what is odd here, and what we might expect from it?

[edit on 7-11-2009 by silver tongue devil]

reply to post by silver tongue devil


Im no expert but seeing as humans are not these creatures natural prey they are either getting hard up for food or getting very brave.

Bats in general dont bother me at all but the thought of one sucking my blood in my sleep and infecting me with some nasty virus really gives me the creeps.

Ive always thought the hydrophobia part of rabies is very strange. I cant imagine what it would be like to be scared of water all of a sudden.

[edit on 8-11-2009 by VitalOverdose]

We had a death in Southern Indiana about a week ago and they believe it was due to a bite from a bat. They do not say if why the person did not get the shots or even if they knew they needed the shots they did not even release the name of the person. But hoping its not something that becomes a trend we have not had a rabies death here in 50 years.
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