Deaths from human rabies in Mexico

Deaths from human rabies in Mexico are really strange, and the one reported in Cancun reminds us of the deadly nature of this disease.

A 67-year-old man who rescued stray cats died of human rabies in Cancun, Quintana Roo, on March 11, reported the Health Ministry.

Although there are not many deaths from human rabies in Mexico, it is still a matter of concern.

Rabies is an infectious disease that mainly affects mammals, which can transmit it to humans through contact with infected saliva or through bites or scratches.

Since both wild and domestic animals can develop this disease, special care should be taken when in contact with them and make sure to vaccinate household pets.

According to data from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), this disease affects more than 150 countries, and in the world alone it causes the death of about 60 thousand people a year, who are infected mainly by dogs.

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Deaths from human rabies in Mexico

There are certain data on human rabies deaths in Mexico.

In data from the Ministry of Health, in the country there were 3 cases of human rabies during the years 2014 to 2017.

These cases were mainly caused by the bite of wild animals.

For its part, the Regional Information System for Epidemiological Surveillance of Rabies (SIRVERA) indicates that in Mexico there were 7 cases during the years 2018 to 2023, of which three were caused by bats.

But in terms of human rabies deaths in Mexico there is one anecdotal case in 2023.

During 2023, the case of three children in the state of Oaxaca was reported, who died from a bat bite; which would have infected them with rabies.

Meanwhile, on March 11, the Rabies Laboratory of the Instituto de Diagnóstico y Referencia Epidemiológicos (InDRE) confirmed the death of a 67-year-old man in Cancun, Quintana Roo, due to rabies, who had been bitten by a cat he was rescuing and which did not have an anti-rabies vaccine.

With the above data, since 2014 there have been a total of 14 cases of human rabies in the country, which occurred mainly due to bites from wild animals.

This is why a possible infection in domestic animals should be prevented, in addition, the WHO recommends the population prone to get sick to be vaccinated against rabies to prevent possible contagions.

Deaths from human rabies in Mexico in the past date back centuries, but in the 18th century, there are records of the first rabies epidemic in Mexico in 1709, in which stray dogs were the main animals affected, this in the city and in Puebla.

After this event, the authorities began to enact provisions to limit the number of dogs, punish owners and prevent rabies.

Despite carrying out various provisions in the following decades, it was not until the 1990s that the Ministry of Health would increase its commitment with the implementation of massive, free campaigns and the implementation of the highest quality anti-rabies biologics.

It is worth noting that it was not until 2019 when the World Health Organization (WHO) certified Mexico City as the first country to have eliminated dog-mediated rabies as a public health problem.