Man dies of rabies from bat bite in Contra Costa County
A 34-year-old man died in Switzerland over the summer from rabies contracted from a bat in Contra Costa County -– the first death rabies death traced to the county in nearly 20 years, officials announced Friday.
The man, whose name has not been released, became ill before leaving the United States to work overseas. He died in a hospital in July, according to Contra Costa Health Services.
Tests later confirmed rabies as the cause of death. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was notified of the death in late August and launched an investigation. It concluded the man had probably been infected in March after touching a bat in southern Contra Costa County, said Erika Jenssen, head of Contra Costa Public Health’s communicable disease program.
“Tragically, this man died from rabies,” Jenssen said in the statement. “It’s critical that people who have been bitten by bats or wild animals seek medical attention immediately.”
In its last fatal rabies case, a man who had been bitten by a rabid dog in Mexico traveled to Contra Costa County, where he became sick and died, in 1993.
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