Human Rabies

Human cases of rabies are now very rare in Los Angeles County. 
The risk of rabies is low here overall  because so many pets are vaccinated against it.

Human Rabies Cases in Los Angeles County

2004 - A 22 year old man was taken to a local hospital with abdominal pain, delusions, and increasing aggression. He died after 6 days in the hospital, and was diagnosed with rabies by autopsy.  An investigation by public health workers revealed the man was most likely bitten by a rabid dog more than 15 months earlier in El Salvador, and had not received rabies prophylaxis at the time. This case is listed in the CDC data below.

1975 - A 16 year old girl was taken to a local hospital. She had had 2 weeks of abdominal pain, 2 days of burning sensation on the bottom of one foot, and 1 day of fever, headache, problems swallowing, and intermittent auditory hallucinations.  The patient was initially thought to have a psychiatric condition, until the physical symptoms worsened.  She was diagnosed with rabies by testing skin samples from the back of the neck for the virus, and by testing her blood for anti-rabies antibodies. She died after 17 days in the hospital. An investigation by public health workers revealed that the young woman had likely been bitten by a rabid dog in Mexico 9 months before her illness.