The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued health warnings for multiple countries after rabies cases were seen in travelers.
The agency said a case was “reported in the U.S. in a traveler from India,” according to a Nov. 25 travel health notice. A counterfeit ABHAYRAB vaccine for humans has reportedly been circulating in major cities in the country, the CDC added, which could be both harmful and fail to prevent rabies.
The viral disease affects mammals’ central nervous systems and is primarily spread through scratches and bites from infected animals. Those include dogs, cats, foxes, raccoons and others.
“Travelers potentially exposed to rabies in India should immediately seek medical care,” the CDC said. “Upon returning home, travelers should follow up with their health care provider as soon as possible.”
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The health agency issued a similar Nov. 25 travel health notice for Haiti, noting that a case was also reported in a traveler from the Caribbean country. “Increased cases of rabies have been reported in animals and humans in Haiti,” the CDC added.
The health agency recommended visitors to both countries avoid contact with dogs, cats or wild mammals – particularly those that are “roaming freely on the streets.”
Travelers who may come into contact with those animals, or who plan to work with them, should consider getting vaccinated for the disease before departure, according to the CDC. “Rabies in humans is preventable, but you must get care right away,” the health notices said. “Once symptoms of rabies develop, it is nearly always fatal.”
Both countries remain at a Level 1 designation, advising travelers to “practice usual precautions.”
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: CDC issues rabies travel health notices for 2 countries