New Delhi, July 4
An Australian man in his 50s has died after being bitten by an “extremely rare” bat virus that caused rabies-like infection, according to health officials on Thursday.
The man from northern New South Wales (NSW) was bitten by Australian bat lyssavirus -- a close relative of the rabies virus -- “several” months ago, as per a statement from NSW Health. Although he received treatment at the time, it proved to be ineffective.
“We express our sincere condolences to the man’s family and friends for their tragic loss,” NSW Health said in a statement.
“While it is extremely rare to see a case of Australian bat lyssavirus, there is no effective treatment for it,” it added.
The man from northern New South Wales, who has not been identified, was this week listed as being in a “critical condition” in hospital.
Lyssavirus is transmitted from infected bats to humans when the virus in bat saliva enters the body through a bat bite or scratch. It is a close relative to the rabies virus, and the virus has been found in species of flying foxes, fruit bats, and insect-eating microbats.
The health officials said that an “investigation is underway to understand whether other exposures or factors played a role in his illness”.