Australian man dies from 'extremely rare' bat bite virus

AN AUSTRALIAN man has died from an "extremely rare" rabies-like infection transmitted by a bat bite, health officials said on Thursday.

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The man in his 50s was bitten by a bat carrying Australian bat lyssavirus several months ago, the health service in New South Wales said.

"We express our sincere condolences to the man’s family and friends for their tragic loss," NSW Health said in a statement. While it is extremely rare to see a case of Australian bat lyssavirus, there is no effective treatment for it." The man from northern New South Wales, who has not been identified, was this week listed as being in a “critical condition” in hospital.

Officials said he was treated following the bite, and they were investigating to see whether other exposures or factors played a role in his illness.

The virus — a close relative to rabies, which does not exist in Australia — is transmitted when bat saliva enters the human body through a bite or scratch.