DOVER, Del. (AP) - A Delaware woman has died from rabies, the second death from the disease in state history, health officials said Monday.
The Delaware Division of Public Health said in a news release the unidentified woman lived in Kent County west of Felton.
According to the news release, the woman was admitted to a Delaware hospital in July after becoming ill. Officials say her condition quickly deteriorated and she was transferred to a Pennsylvania hospital for further treatment and testing.
The woman died last week. Test results did not confirm the presence of rabies until recently, and the source of the disease hasn’t been determined.
In 1941, a Newport boy died after being bitten by a stray dog.
Rabies is an infectious disease affecting the nervous system of humans and other mammals. Infection can occur through the bite or scratch of an infected animal, or if saliva from such an animal gets into the eyes, nose, mouth or an opening in the skin. It is transmitted from animals to humans or from animals to other animals.
There have been no reported cases of human-to-human transmission other than through organ transplantation.
“Because rabies is a fatal disease once symptoms develop, we urge all Delawareans to ensure they are taking steps to avoid exposure. This is a largely preventable disease,” DPH Director Dr. Karyl Rattay said.
State health and agriculture officials are working closely with Pennsylvania health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the investigation.
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