Human Rabies Case in Brazil

Typically, rabies virus is transmitted via a bite from a suspect animal. In South America, most human cases are due to bites from vampire bats. Non-bite exposures leading to an productive case are rare. Similarly, human cases acquired from livestock are possible, but uncommon. The description of this human case during April 2023 appears unusual in that the farmer handled a suspect calf but then became ill a few days later, according to the report. If the diagnosis is accurate, this seems to be a very short incubation period from non-bite exposure. Of course, it does not rule out the possibility of a prior, unoticed exposure to a rabid animal.

Brazil: 1st human rabies case reported in Minas Gerais this year - Outbreak News Today