Man dies of rare untreatable virus after bat bite
NSW Health confirmed the man in his 50s died on Thursday after being bitten by a bat several months ago.
The northern NSW man was the first ever recorded case of Australian bat lyssavirus in the state and only the fourth in the country.
Bat lyssavirus transmits from infected bats to humans when virus in their saliva enters the body through a bite or scratch.
It is extremely rare for the virus to transmit to humans because it does not spread through the air.
There is no effective treatment.
"Only wildlife handlers who are trained, protected, and vaccinated should interact with bats," a NSW Health spokesman said.
The virus shares similarities to rabies and has been found in species of flying foxes, fruit bats and insect-eating microbats.
In 2024, 118 people were treated after being bitten or scratched by a bat in Australia.
Authorities are urging people to assume bats could be carrying the virus and avoid touching them.
"It is crucial that anyone bitten or scratched by a bat seek urgent medical assessment," the spokesman said.
People who are bitten or scratched by a bat require treatment with rabies immunoglobulin and rabies vaccine.
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