SODA SPRINGS, ID – A lady’s camp expertise gone awry.
The Bear River Well being Division stated a gaggle of younger girls from Field Elder County had been staying at a cabin at Camp Chi-Keena in Soda Springs, Idaho that was apparently infested with a number of bats.
Karen Valcarce with the Utah Division of Well being and Human Providers stated about 10-15% of bats take a look at optimistic for rabies in Utah yearly, so any time there’s a mass publicity, they take instant motion.
“Rabies is a illness that impacts the nervous system of each people and animals. It’s nearly 100% deadly in people when you develop signs. That’s why we deal with any potential publicity as a severe danger,” she stated.
Valcarce stated precise instances of rabies are uncommon. The final case of rabies in Utah was in 2018, the primary within the state since 1944.
“We hardly ever see rabies in people in Utah,” Valcarce stated. “In reality, in the USA, usually solely about 1-2 instances are reported yearly.”
Rabies could be unfold by a chew or scratch from an contaminated animal. An individual can expertise flu-like signs like fever, headache, or nausea, which is able to then progress to neurological signs.
“Don’t wait till you’ve got signs to get handled for rabies,” Valcarce stated.
That therapy entails human rabies immunoglobulin and a four-dose collection of vaccines over a interval of about two weeks.
Jordan Mathis with the Bear River Well being Division advised KSL TV that the youth group is presently getting handled and there’s no danger to the general public.
In case you have contact with a bat or one other animal that would doubtlessly have rabies, name your well being division straight away to evaluate your danger. Don’t attempt to take away the animal your self – name animal management to seize it.
For extra info on rabies, together with an publicity evaluation device, go to rabies.utah.gov.