Friday, August 12, 2011

Man in US Dies from Vampire Bat Bite

We have a report of a human death caused by vampire bat.

You want the good news or the bad news? Okay, I'll give you both.

Good news: the actual biting did not occur in the US. The man was bitten in Mexico then died after he came to the US. This is very good news for our readers in the Midwest; not as great for those of us living in Texas.

I wonder if the vampire bat attack isn't an indirect result of the heat and drought throughout our area. Venomous snakes are more aggressive than usual. It makes sense that bats would be more aggressive too. Be thankful if you live in a part of the country that's been getting rain this summer.

Bad news: the strain of rabies the vampire bat carried had a very short incubation period, compared to normal strains.

One question remains: how did the bat bite the man's foot? Rather, why did it bite him on the foot and not somewhere else?

For the full article go here.


- M. M. Wells