rabies

A Man Died From Rabies In Illinois. Here's Why That's So Unusual In The U.S.

12:51pm September 29, 2021

by Deepa Shivaram

The Illinois Department of Health says an elderly man died from rabies after waking up with a bat on his neck and refusing rabies treatment. It's the first case in the state since 1954.

The infectious and contagious rabies virus, shown here in a colorized micrograph, can be transmitted to humans through the bite or saliva of an infected animal. Thanks to protective vaccination of pets, rabies was eliminated from the U.S. dog population i

Health & Safety

The U.S. Bans Importing Dogs From 113 Countries After Rise In False Rabies Records

7:20pm June 14, 2021

by Rob Stein

A surge in pet adoptions has increased demand for dogs imported from around the world. Most are fine, but federal officials turned up 450 dogs in 2020 with false records — 50% more than in 2019.

Queue Listen Now

Jeannette Parker, an animal-loving biologist, stopped to feed a stray cat in a rural area outside Florida's Everglades National Park. Instead of showing appreciation, the cat bit her.

Health & Safety

Cat Bites The Hand That Feeds; Hospital Bills $48,512

10:31am February 26, 2019

by Julie Appleby

An animal lover stopped to feed a hungry-looking stray cat outside Everglades National Park in Florida. The cat bit her finger; then treatment for a possible rabies infection bit her pocketbook.

Queue Listen Now

Never take Barbary macaques — or any nonhuman primate for that matter — at face value. That "smile" does not mean what you think it does.

When A Kiss Is Not A Kiss: Why So Many People Get Bitten By Monkeys

8:11pm June 07, 2017

by Michaeleen Doucleff

You might think a monkey is making a friendly face. The monkey, however, might have a very different message in mind.

Get to know vampire bats — the good, the bad, and the ugly — in Skunk Bear's latest video.

VIDEO: Get To Know The Bloodthirsty (But Cuddly) Vampire Bat

6:14pm June 06, 2017

In Latin America, they drink the blood of big animals and can spread rabies. Livestock die. So do people. Ranchers want to wipe the bats out. Does anyone think that's a bad idea?

Queue Listen Now

A vampire bat's fangs are so sharp that victims hardly notice when the animal slices through their skin and starts drinking blood.

Blame It On The Boys: How To Stop Vampire Bats From Spreading Rabies

6:57pm September 13, 2016

by Michaeleen Doucleff

Poisoning these thirsty critters doesn't work. But researchers think they're finally getting close to figuring out a plan.

A silver-haired bat, the type that transmitted rabies to a woman in Wyoming after apparently biting her while she slept.

Bats In The Bedroom Can Spread Rabies Without An Obvious Bite

2:37pm June 02, 2016

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

When a Wyoming woman fell ill, no one suspected that she could have rabies from a bat in her bedroom. Health officials say sleeping in a room with a bat is a rabies risk because bites are hard to see.

Health & Safety

Rabies Case Found In Guilford County

8:27pm December 02, 2014

by Michael Burke

Guilford County's twelfth case of animal rabies this year has been confirmed.

Queue Listen Now

Boys show off their four-legged friends at a rabies vaccination drive set up by the Serengeti Health Initiative in the Bariadi District of Tanzania.

Doggone It, The World Can Wipe Out Rabies

3:31pm September 30, 2014

by Nsikan Akpan

Rabies kills tens of thousands of people each year. Now scientists are hoping to mount a final siege against the virus globally. The trick? Getting all of our four-legged friends in for a shot.

Do you know what the deadliest disease is? Hint: It's not Ebola (viral particles seen here in a digitally colorized microscopic image, at top right, along with similar depictions of other contagious diseases)

Which Contagious Diseases Are The Deadliest?

4:47pm September 16, 2014

by Diane Cole

To put Ebola in context, we tried to find a list of the deadliest contagious diseases. We couldn't. So with the help of scientists and health agencies, we came up with a rundown of the world's worst.