Medina county child hospitalized with rabies

A Medina County child is receiving care in a Texas hospital after contracting rabies following a bite from a bat, marking the first case of rabies in a Texas resident since 2009.

The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) is investigating the incident and said in a statement that they identified all places where someone could have come into contact with the bat or child and directly contacted anyone who may have been exposed.

According to DSHS, health officials are assessing those who have been exposed to determine risk and whether they should receive vaccination.

DSHS said all those who need to be assessed have been contacted, and those who were not contacted have no need for concern.

Officials will not be releasing further information about the patient to protect their identity.

Rabies is a viral illness that usually spreads through the bite of an infected animal. It may also be possible to transmit the virus if infected saliva enters the eyes, nose or mouth or a break in the skin.

Once someone becomes sick with rabies, it is almost always fatal. However, the illness is preventable if rabies vaccine and immune globulin are administered before symptoms start.

In Texas, skunks and bats account for most animal rabies cases, but any mammal can become infected and potentially spread it to other animals or humans.

Last year, nearly 600 animals tested positive for rabies across all regions of the state; about half were bats.

Additional information on rabies in Texas is available at dshs.texas.gov/idcu/ disease/rabies.aspx.