In the fifties died in Australia of an “extremely weird” virus similar to anger, transmitted by a bat bite, health authorities announced this Thursday, July 3.
“We express our sincere condolences to family and friends” of the deceased “for their tragic loss,” wrote the health service of the state of Nueva Wales del Sur, in the southeast of the country, in a press release.
“Although it is extremely rare to see a case of Lissavirus of Australian bats, there is no effective treatment against him,” he added. The Australian was bitten by one of these mammals, carrying the virus several months ago. He had been hospitalized this week in a “critical state.”
Symptoms similar to influenza
The virus, near the anger that does not exist in Australia, is transmitted when the saliva of a bat enters the human body through a bite or a scratch.
The first symptoms may take several days or even years to appear. They look like those of the flu: headache, fever and fatigue, depending on health services. The state of the victim deteriorates rapidly, causing paralysis, delirium, seizures and death. Three previous cases of human infection by the Lyssavirus of the Australian bat since its identification in 1996 have been identified.
Two of these cases, that of a woman in 1998 and an eight -year -old boy in 2013, “resulted in death,” said the Australian scientific research organization, The Csiro, in an online published document.
Catement of health authorities
“The Lisavirus of Australian bats is closely linked to anger and will cause death in vulnerable people if they are infected and are not treated quickly,” said James Gilkerson, an expert in infectious diseases at the University of Melbourne.
People should avoid touching or manipulating bats, since all Australian specimens can transport Lissavirus, warned the health service of South Wales.
“If you or someone you know is bitten or scratched by a bat, you should carefully wash the wound for 15 minutes immediately with soap and soap and apply an antiseptic with an antiviral action,” he said. “Patients should receive treatment with antirrabic immunoglobulins and rage vaccine.”
Source: BFM TV
