Tests confirm brown bat caused Mass. rabies case BOSTON -- The
state public health department has confirmed that a bat was
responsible for the first case of human rabies in more than 75
years in Massachusetts. The victim, a man in his 60s from Cape
Cod, was likely bitten by the bat in his home. Officials said
last week that the man, whose name has not been released, was in
critical condition. Department of Public Health spokesman John
Jacobs said Tuesday the agency was not expecting to release
further updates on the man's condition. Jacobs says tests
conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
confirmed that the disease was transmitted by one of two species
of brown bat, both of which are relatively common to
Massachusetts. The last recorded human case of rabies contracted
in the state was in 1935. (Copyright (c) 2012 The Associated
Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)