Health authorities have confirmed the first case of human rabies in Zacatecas in almost 40 years. The patient is hospitalized in serious condition.
Zacatecas Health Secretary Uswaldo Pinedo Barrios reported that the first case of human rabies detected in the state since 1987 has been confirmed.
The infection was diagnosed in a 17-year-old female patient who was bitten by a skunk inside a home located in Mezquital del Oro, Zacatecas, a municipality bordering the state of Jalisco.
The patient, who was bitten on her finger while sleeping, is in serious condition and is receiving intensive care at the IMSS General Hospital in Zacatecas.
Although the rabid skunk attack occurred in late June, the diagnosis was not reported to the Zacatecas Health Secretariat until Friday, August 15, by the Institute of Epidemiological Diagnosis and Reference (INDRE).
The type of rabies virus has yet to be determined, as there are approximately 14 different serotypes, according to the state health secretary.
Uswaldo Pinedo reported that after the skunk bite, the young woman was not immediately taken for medical treatment for rabies, but her wound was treated only with hydrogen peroxide and home remedies.
It wasn’t until she showed symptoms of human rabies that she received care at an IMSS Bienestar clinic in ValparaÃso, then at a clinic in Durango, and finally was referred to Zacatecas due to suspected rabies.
The patient’s relatives killed the skunk, but it was not handed over to health authorities for testing.
The Zacatecas Health Secretariat, in coordination with Cenaprece, is implementing a sanitary cordon in the southern region of Zacatecas to detect wild animals with rabies. The population is also being alerted about the risk of rabies and preventive measures.
Source: OEM
