Indiana Woman Dies of Rabies
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Jeffersonville, Ind.

State health officials say a person from southern Indiana's Clark County has died of rabies.

The state Department of Health announced the death Tuesday, saying it was the first human death from rabies in Indiana since 2006 and only the second since 1959.

The agency did not further identify the victim.

It said tests by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates the infection came from a bat, but that the victim had not reported any exposures.

Rabies is a viral disease most often transmitted through a bite from an infected animal. It attacks the brain and central nervous system and, if untreated, can lead to paralysis, difficulty swallowing and death.