Human rabies - Missouri, 2008.

On November 24, 2008, the Missouri State Public Health Laboratory notified CDC of suspected rabies in a man aged 55 years from Missouri. The man had been bitten by a bat 4--6 weeks before symptom onset and had not sought medical care at the time of the bite. After visiting two emergency departments (EDs) with symptoms consistent with rabies, he was hospitalized on November 23 and treated using the Milwaukee protocol. On November 26, infection with a rabies virus variant associated with silver-haired bats was confirmed. The patient died on November 30. This report summarizes the patient's treatment and clinical course. The report highlights the importance of raising public awareness of rabies, particularly the risk for rabies after bat and other wildlife exposures. Health-care providers should maintain a high clinical suspicion for rabies in patients with a recent animal bite history and unexplained encephalitis.