ianstone
09-24-2010, 06:25 AM
Vampires kill 20
By GRANT ROLLINGS
Published: Today
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IT sounds like something from a horror movie - but for the villagers dying after vampire bat bites the nightmare is real.
Five child and 15 adult victims of the blood-drinking creatures have died in recent months. It is estimated that another 3,500 people have been bitten.
http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01131/SNF24MAP2_1131607a.jpg Danger zone ... map of attack sites
The death toll has been caused by rabies spreading through the vampire bat colonies in a remote region of Peru. The killer disease is passed on in a bite.
Attacks in the night on sleeping humans are being blamed on the disappearance of animal prey as the rainforest is cut down.
The victims are all members of the Awajun and Wampis tribes that live in the north eastern Amazon area of the South American country.
http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01131/SNF24BAT1-380_1131609a.jpg Chilling ... there have been 3,500 bite victims so far
Local health officials fear that more could die because it is expensive and difficult to transport vaccines to the areas hit by the outbreak.
Dr Fernando Borjas, who has been dealing with the crisis from the regional capital of Chachapoyas, said: "I cannot discount the death toll mounting because, unfortunately, we cannot get them the vaccines quickly enough.
"A journey can take up to 15 hours through the jungle rivers."
Peru's health ministry has sent emergency teams to the region and 900 people have now been immunised.
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Vampire bats do not suck blood like Dracula in films.
The bat lands, crawls to a victim on all fours, cuts into the skin with razor-sharp teeth and licks the dripping blood.
Often people do not feel the attacks, which can last up to half an hour.
The bats do not take enough blood to harm the victim. But if the first flu-like symptoms of rabies appear they can die within two to ten days.
By GRANT ROLLINGS
Published: Today
http://www.thesun.co.uk/img/buttons/chicklet-comments.gif (http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/3150899/Vampires-kill-20-Children-among-victims-of-rabid-bats.html#comment-rig) Add a comment (1) (http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/3150899/Vampires-kill-20-Children-among-victims-of-rabid-bats.html#comment-rig)
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IT sounds like something from a horror movie - but for the villagers dying after vampire bat bites the nightmare is real.
Five child and 15 adult victims of the blood-drinking creatures have died in recent months. It is estimated that another 3,500 people have been bitten.
http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01131/SNF24MAP2_1131607a.jpg Danger zone ... map of attack sites
The death toll has been caused by rabies spreading through the vampire bat colonies in a remote region of Peru. The killer disease is passed on in a bite.
Attacks in the night on sleeping humans are being blamed on the disappearance of animal prey as the rainforest is cut down.
The victims are all members of the Awajun and Wampis tribes that live in the north eastern Amazon area of the South American country.
http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01131/SNF24BAT1-380_1131609a.jpg Chilling ... there have been 3,500 bite victims so far
Local health officials fear that more could die because it is expensive and difficult to transport vaccines to the areas hit by the outbreak.
Dr Fernando Borjas, who has been dealing with the crisis from the regional capital of Chachapoyas, said: "I cannot discount the death toll mounting because, unfortunately, we cannot get them the vaccines quickly enough.
"A journey can take up to 15 hours through the jungle rivers."
Peru's health ministry has sent emergency teams to the region and 900 people have now been immunised.
Advertisement
http://t.mookie1.com/t/v1/imp?migAgencyId=186&migSource=adsrv2&migTrackDataExt=2768331;49980294;226055963;3785896 0&migRandom=974097&migTrackFmtExt=client;io;ad;crtv
Vampire bats do not suck blood like Dracula in films.
The bat lands, crawls to a victim on all fours, cuts into the skin with razor-sharp teeth and licks the dripping blood.
Often people do not feel the attacks, which can last up to half an hour.
The bats do not take enough blood to harm the victim. But if the first flu-like symptoms of rabies appear they can die within two to ten days.