LOUISVILLE, Ky., Oct. 28 (UPI) -- A 43-year-old Indiana man has died of rabies after being bitten by a rabid bat, authorities say.
His death marked the state's first from rabies since 2006.
The victim -- authorities did not identify him -- died Oct. 20 at Norton Health Care Hospital in Louisville, WLKY-TV, Louisville, reported.
Tests confirmed the infection came from a bat bite, though the man had not reported any concerns about possible exposure and had no apparent wounds or bite marks, family members said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says less than 1 percent of bats in the wild are rabid.
Mac Spainhour, a spokesman for Indiana Conservation, said people can be exposed to bats in places like attics, on porches or in parks. Along with bats, raccoons, foxes and skunks can transmit rabies.
"If you get bit by any of those animals and feel like it could have been an animal that carries rabies, then you need to get those shots and prevent it. It's very preventable if you know you've been bit," Spainhour said.
