The US Only Diagnoses 7% of Its Human Rabies Cases, Study Finds
The tip of a deadly iceberg.
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A troubling analysis suggests that the United States may be significantly undercounting human rabies cases. Researchers from Oxford University’s Pandemic Sciences Institute examined official U.S. disease records and discovered a striking statistical discrepancy. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention typically records approximately 2.4 rabies cases annually, yet the researchers’ calculations indicate there should be roughly 856 cases occurring during the same period based on available evidence.
The researchers reached their conclusions by analyzing instances where rabies was transmitted through organ transplants from undiagnosed donors. Four documented cases since 1978 involved recipients contracting the virus from infected organs. Given how uncommon organ donation is in the general population, the frequency of these transplant-related infections suggests many rabies deaths go unrecognized. According to the study, confirmed cases may represent only 7 percent of actual infections, meaning approximately 30 cases escape detection each year.
Why is rabies so frequently missed? Symptoms like difficulty swallowing, hallucinations, and seizures can be attributed to numerous other conditions, making diagnosis challenging without clinical suspicion. Additionally, organ transplant screening protocols do not routinely test for rabies, partly due to time constraints when organs must be kept viable for recipients. The researchers acknowledge their calculations are estimates that did not account for geographic or occupational risk factors, but their work highlights a critical gap in surveillance systems.
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Originally reported by Sciencealert →
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