July 2019 AST Magazine AST July 2019 Magazine | Page 20

www.AmericanSecurityToday.com July 2019 - Edition 35 Learn what Americans should know about current rabies risks from wild animals in their area and how the public, international travelers, and healthcare providers can prevent rabies. Are You at Risk for Rabies? Awareness is Key to Preventing Deadly Disease Bats are responsible for rough- ly 7 in 10 rabies deaths among people who are infected with the rabies virus in the United States, possibly because people may not know of the risk bats pose, according to the Vital Signs report released in June by the Centers for Disease Con- trol and Prevention. The large percentage of deaths tied to bats is particularly strik- ing since bats account for just a third of the 5,000 rabid animals reported each year in the U.S. Rabid dogs that people encoun- ter while traveling overseas are the second-leading cause of ra- bies cases in Americans. 18