The Peru Ministry of Health is looking at a mass rabies vaccination campaign for the 20,000 people who live in the Napo District, Maynas Province, Loreto region of the country after reporting the death of three children due to rabies.

Brown Bat
Myotis lucifugus, or Little Brown Bat/CDC

According to the Reporte Epidemiologico (computer translated), the 1st case occurred in a 9-year old girl who died 29 May 2015; the 2nd case was a 3-year old girl who died 12 Jun; and the last case was a boy who recently passed away.

The children are all reported to have been bitten by vampire bats.

The rabies virus is present in some areas of the Amazon jungle, and it is transmitted by vampire bat bites, and these animals also attack cattle and pigs.

In March, the Soledad native community reported the death of 10 cattle, and the Pipischa community reported 12 cattle dead because of rabies; and for this reason coordination activities are being performed with SENASA (Peruvian Service for Animal Sanitation) in order to also vaccinate domestic animals.

Related: Bolivia reports 3rd human rabies death in 8-year-old girl 

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