State expert says more human rabies deaths unlikely

The death of an Iowan from rabies has prompted several people in Linn County to get rabies shots. State Epidemiologist Patricia Quinlisk says the shots are merely a precaution and there’s no concern of a potential outbreak.She says most of the people have a zero risk of getting rabies, but since there’s no treatment for rabies, they’re getting the shots. The man who died is believed to have been infected by a bat. Quinlisk says seeing bats around your home isn’t an automatic signal to get rabies shots. But, if you wake up and find a bat in your bedroom, you should have the bat tested for rabies. She says bats have extremely small teeth and they could bite you while you sleep without waking you up. Quinlisk says if the rabies test is positive, then you should get shots. She says Iowa probably won’t see another case of a human contracting rabies. Twenty-year-old Ronald Buckley of Cedar Rapids died September 29th from rabies.