Evening star., 1954-04-12
Vampire Bot Is Known
To Be Rubies Carrier
Mammals Bites Caused
Death Of 100 Humans
By Thomos R. Henry

The vampire bat, whose semitropical
habitat comes within 100 miles Of the
Mexican border of the United States.
is a definite carrier of rabies.
Its bites have been responsible for
about 100 human deaths as well as the
deaths of thousands of cattle during
the past generation.
This is the report of DR.. Aurelio
Malaga-Alba, World Health Organiza-
ton rabies consultant, with head
quarters at Mexico City. A resume Of
his report has Just been published by
the Public Health Service.
The most abundant species Of
vampire is a small, brown bat which
lives In caves during the day and comes
out at night to seek its only food-blood.
It's throat is so constituted that it can
swallow no solid particles. Its sharp
teeth enable it to penetrate the skin
almost without being felt and sleeping
humans frequently are victims.
Bat Is q Mammal.
The bat is mammal and, appar-
emily in common with all mammals, is
subject to the mad-dog disease. Some
times this manifests itself in the in
variably fatal fury and paralysis.
sometimes, however, the bat RECEIVERS
from minor symptoms but retains the
virus which it passes on to the ami
mails upon whose blood it feeds. Some
times it may harbor the virus without
showing any overt symptoms.
Fortunately, however, the bats ap-
pear to have developed special strain
OF rabies over many generations which
has low virulence for both men and
dogs, although very high virulence
for some other animals.
Thousands of cattle have been killed
by it throughout tropical America. The
first human cases were reported in
Trinidad few years ago. Since then
SO deaths have been registered on this
Trinidad, however, was registered in
1851.
The carrier state, the World Health
Organization investigator says, now
can be demonstrated to extend to all
three known species of vampires-the
common blood feeder which is unique
among bats for walking on all fours,
the white spotted species and the hairy
legged bat. Perhaps all bat species may
be carriers. but humans are quite un-
likely to be bitten by the fruit and
insect-eating varieties.
Found Near Border.
The nearest locality to the United
States in which the vampires have
been found is near Linares, Mexico,
about 100 miles from the border. It
extends southwark through the ORR
noco and Amazon basins. The range
of the grotesque animals, however, may
extend northward at any time.
Since DR.. Malaga -Alba's report, the
Public Health Service announces, six
Florida yellow bats have been found
infected with rabies since child was
bitten by bat of that species in the
center of the State. This animal, how
ever, seldom would bite a human.
The vampire, the report points out,
is purely American animal Through
the early 17th century there was a
spread of the terrible superstition Of
vampiriSm in Europe. The dead were
supposed to rise from their graves and,
in the forms Of various animals, suck
the blood of humans. The victims in
turn became vampires after death.
This superstition, however, never was
associated with bats until Spanish ex-
plorers actually encountered the blood
drinking animals in the New World.
The name vampire" naturally was
attached to them and since then the
vampire form of the Eastern European
superstition always has been that of q
big, lowering black bat.