Moroni Man Dead From Rabies

A Utahn died this month from rabies. Moroni resident, 55 year old Gary Giles got the disease from a bat. "Because a bat’s teeth and claws are so small, a bat bite or scratch may not be seen or felt by the injured person," a press release stated. The last person to die from rabies in Utah was in 1944, health officials said. “If you find yourself near a bat, dead or alive, do not touch, hit, or kill it,” said Dallin Peterson, epidemiologist with the Utah Department of Health (UDOH). If you have bats in your home, seek help from a local company to find ways to remove the bats or contact the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) for more information. Rabies affects the nervous system of humans and animals. A person may contract rabies through a bite, scratch, or saliva from the infected animal.