A Fresno County resident died Friday after contracting a case of rabies that public health officials believe might have been the result of being bitten by a bat in Merced County.

The Fresno County Department of Public Health was working with hospital and healthcare workers who cared for the victim in a Fresno County hospital as well as persons who shared a household in Fresno County. The Merced County Department of Public Health also is notifying individuals who might have been exposed.

Fresno County health officials would not identify the age or gender of the person who died due to confidentiality laws, nor the hospital where the death occurred.

“Right now at this time the hospital, there isn’t any public benefit to know where the hospital (is) that has been caring for this individual,” said Joe Prado, the county’s assistant public health director.

Based on the department’s investigation, “We’re not seeing any exposure or any harm to the general public at this time,” he said.

Rabies deaths are extremely rare. The last recorded such death in Fresno County was in 1992, said Dr. Trinidad Solis, the county’s deputy health officer.

Exposed in Merced County

The victim apparently contracted rabies in mid-October while working in Merced County and began to feel ill by mid-November, Prado said.

When the symptoms worsened after a few days, the person went to a Fresno County hospital emergency room, was admitted on Nov. 18, and died four days later, he said.

People who have been exposed to rabies may not show symptoms for as long as eight weeks, Solis said.

The Merced County Public Health Department is investigating the circumstances of the Fresno County person’s exposure, Prado said.

Merced County public health officials did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request for comment.

Fresno County public health officials offered rabies vaccinations to healthcare workers who cared for the individual as well as household partners who might have been exposed to the person’s saliva or bodily fluids, which is how rabies is transmitted.

Prado said he did not immediately have information about how many people in Fresno County connected with the case have received rabies vaccinations, which involves a number of shots.

On Wednesday, Prado said that 15 people healthcare workers and household contacts have received the vaccinations.

Rabies also can spread through transplanted organs. Prado said he did not know if the person who died was an organ donor.

The two departments are working closely with the California Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including making sure that there is sufficient local supply of rabies vaccine, Prado said.

According to the California Department of Public Health, 169 rabid animals have been reported statewide this year through last Friday, including 153 bats, 13 skunks, two foxes, and one cat.

Two of the rabid bats were in Fresno County, and one in Merced County. Two rabid bats have been reported in Tulare County, and no rabid animals have been reported in Madera and Kings counties, according to the state database.

Avoiding Rabies

Solis said California requires residents to vaccinate their dogs, and vaccination of cats is “highly recommended.” Residents should avoid contact with wildlife, particularly those that are exhibiting unusual behavior such as bats flying in the daytime, she said.

If someone is bitten by a wild or domestic animal and is concerned about rabies, the person should thoroughly wash the bite area with soap and water and then see a medical practitioner for further treatment, Solis said.

While rabies is almost always fatal when it goes untreated, vaccinations administered early on will prevent the rabies virus from progressing, she said.

But once the virus has entered the brain, there is little chance of survival, Solis said.

Persons who are exposed and untreated may initially feel tired and run a fever, then start to feel pain, followed by difficulty in eating and swallowing, talking, and walking, she said.