SALT LAKE CITY — A Moroni man has died from rabies, the first death of its kind in Utah since 1944. 
 
 Gary Giles, 55, died Sunday, but struggled for weeks with an slowly progressing disease that doctors couldn't stop from infecting his brain and other organs, ultimately leading to his death. 
 
 He and his wife, Juanita Giles, didn't realize that the bats that had frequented their home were carriers of a rabid and highly contagious virus. 
 
 "The bats never hurt us, and we were always catching them in our hands and releasing them outside because you hear all the time about how bats are good for the insect population, and you don't want to hurt them," Giles said Thursday. 
 
 "The bats would lick our fingers, almost like they could taste the saltiness of our fingers, but they never bit us." 
 
 Gary Giles first had neck and back pain and went to the local emergency room on Oct. 19 and was sent home with steroids and other pain management treatment for a potential pulled muscle; but that turned into numbness and tingling, and, eventually, wheezing. His wife called 911 and he was taken by ambulance to another local emergency room. 
 
 He was again transported to Utah Valley Hospital, and then put in the intensive care unit at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, where he died. 
 
 "It's very scary and it is creating a bit of a panic," Giles said, adding that she is getting rabies vaccinations — a series of four shots over two weeks — just in case. Other family members are also getting vaccinated, though the supply of vaccine is limited within the state. 
 
 She wants others to be aware of the risk. 
 
 "I had no clue," she said. "We would wake up in the night and they would be walking on our bed." 
 
 "I've always thought bats were kind of cute, but I had no idea the kind of risk we were at," Giles said. 
 
 A fundraising page* has been set up to help the family. 
 
 "My dad has always been a giver," Crystal Sedgewick, Giles' daughter who set up the page said. "During the final 24 hours that he was still able to speak with us, he was in a delusional state, and he still couldn't stop talking about all the people that he needed to help and favors that he had yet to follow through with." 
 
 She said it is difficult for the family to ask for or accept anything. 
 
 Bats are the most common source of rabies in Utah, Utah Department of Health epidemiologist Dallin Peterson said. He said a bite or scratch from a bat may not be felt because a bat's teeth and claws are very small. 
 
 The disease, as is likely with the case of Gary Giles, can also be transmitted via an infected animal's saliva. 
 
 Rabies, though very rare, Peterson said, is nearly always fatal once symptoms develop. The last deadly case in Utah was 74 years ago. 
 
 After exposure to an infected animal, Peterson said it can take three to 12 weeks for symptoms to show up. From there, it can be less than a week until a person is in a coma. 
 
 "Once it gets into the central nervous system, it advances quickly," he said. "It's a terrible way to pass away." 
 
 Between 150 and 200 bats are submitted to the health department every year to be tested. Migratory bats come from all over the state, most frequently stopping along the Wasatch Front. A hibernating kind of bat is also found in some national parks. 
 
 "They like nooks and crannies or caves, dark areas or attics," Peterson said. 
 
 This year, 14 bats tested by the health department have been found to have rabies. The state averages 20 to 25 positive tests each year. 
 
 In the fall of last year, bat infestations were found in West and Layton high schools. Because bats are endangered, they should not be killed, but dealt with by a professional. No one was harmed in the process, and houses were built to attract the bats outside of the school. 
 
 Peterson said anyone exposed to bats, especially bats that exhibit odd behavior, should seek medical help to rule out potential risk. 
 
 "If you find yourself near a bat, dead or alive, do not touch, hit or kill it," Peterson said. 
 
 While no human-to-human transmission has been documented outside of organ transplantation, he said it is "theoretically possible" to spread rabies through contact with bodily fluids such as saliva and tears, as well as cerebrospinal and respiratory tract fluids. 
 
 Rabies is not found in urine, blood, serum or feces. 
 
 Peterson said the health department hasn't confirmed that the Utah man died from exposure to an infected bat, but a Center for Disease Control and Prevention laboratory in Atlanta can detect the species. 
 
 An estimated 40,000 people in the United States get preventive treatment for rabies after a bite or scratch from a dog or cat that might not be up-to-date on vaccinations. The Utah Department of Health advises keeping up on rabies vaccinations for all domestic animals, not only for the sake of human owners, but to avoid the heartache of unnecessarily euthanizing or treating pets. 
 
 The health department advises people to not approach wild animals or strays, which can also carry the highly contagious and fatal viral disease. 
 
 Domestic animals with rabies may exhibit behavior changes, general sickness, trouble swallowing, increased drool or saliva and biting at everything. 
 
 For more information on rabies, call the health department at 801-538-6191 or visit health.utah.gov/epi/diseases/rabies. 
 
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 Photos ||||| Just over 2 weeks ago, my dad was experiencing back pain. While he was working on October 16th, he tweaked his neck and pinched a nerve. He was seen by a chiropractor and that was able to help relieve some of the pain initially. Later he began to experience numbness and tingling in his arms, followed by uncontrollable muscle spasms. He was seen in the ER on the 19th & 20th. Both times he was given steroids to help with what they believed was inflammation around the nerves. The medications that he was given had a negative effect and he ended up being transferred up to the ICU at UVRMC on the night of the 20th. Unfortunately, we were unable to see the Neurologist until late in the afternoon on the 21st. During the time that we waited, my dad experienced an unbelievable amount of pain and sickness. That night, they intubated and sedated him to do a lumbar puncture and MRI, both of which came back normal. We remained at this hospital for the next 9 days while doctors performed extensive testing. Everything came back normal. This was incredibly aggravating to the doctors and to our family. We took him off of all of his sedatives on the 25th...it was time for him to wake up...only he didn't wake up. We were told on the 26th that he was in a coma. Doctors quickly did another MRI and hooked him up for another EEG only to find that he was experiencing seizures in his brain approximately 16 times an hour. He was then sedated again and treated for his seizures. On the 28th when his seizure activity was stabilized, he was transported via life flight up to IMC where they have Neuro Intensivists on the floor 24/7. With him hooked back up to EEG, they once again completely removed him from sedatives. There was nothing. No seizures, and very minimal brain activity. Doctors continued with more testing, all of which continued to come back normal. Meanwhile, dad continues to have MRI tests, which come back with slow but steady deterioration, although we cannot find the reason why. Because of the length of time that has gone by with very little brain and brain stem activity, if he were to wake up he would not be able to function the way that he would want to. The likelihood of him waking up at all is not very realistic at this point. The doctors no longer feel that there is anything that they can do to help him, and our family has had to make the very hard decision to have him removed from life support on Sunday. To say that we're heartbroken would be an understatement. 
 
 
 
 My dad has always been a giver. During the final 24 hrs that he was still able to speak with us, he was in a delusional state, and he still couldn't stop talking about all the people that he needed to help and favors that he had yet to follow through with. He has a heart of gold. Accepting or even asking for help isn't one of our strong points. Due to circumstances outside of our control my dad does not currently have life insurance. Medical and funeral expenses will be overwhelming. I'm setting up this account to try and help our mom in any way possible. If you're able to make a donation we are forever grateful. If you're unable to, please know that you're all still very loved and that we have greatly appreciated all of your thoughts and prayers in my family's behalf. The only favor that I ask of everyone, is that you take the time to tell those that you love how much they mean to you. This is a very unexpected tragedy for our family...and what I wouldn't give to turn back time to show my love more. 
 
 Share Tweet 662 shares on Facebook shares on Facebook ||||| 3/13/1963 ~ 11/4/2018 
 
 Gary S. Giles, age 55, peacefully passed away at the IMC hosptial in Murray, Utah on November 4, 2018 while surrounded by his loving family. He was born on March 13, 1963 in Heber City, Utah to Stanley and Dianne (Simmons) Giles. He served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Gary married the love of his life, Juanita Thompson on March 29, 1985. They were later sealed for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake City Temple on June 21, 1986. Gary was Juanita’s best friend and soul mate. Together they shared their love for traveling and the great outdoors. He lived the perfect example of Christlike love, and was always willing to help someone in need. His latest love was being a worker in the Manti Temple with his beloved wife. Heaven gained the heart of our family, his loss will be felt by many. He knew how to make everyone around him smile. 
 
 Gary is survived by his loving wife Juanita Giles and their 4 children: Crystal (Jerem) Sedgwick, Jessica (Justin) Shepherd, William (Kaylee) Giles, and Dawn Giles, and 9 grandchildren: Audrey, Nellie, Desmond, Ryan, Kestri, Hayley, Evelyn, Oliver, and Chloe. Gary is also survived by his parents Stanley & Dianne Giles, and his siblings: Angela (Eric) Millsap, Julie Wankier, Brian Wankier, Sondra (Earl) Sperry, Catherin (Randy) Dalton, Elizabeth (Kyle) Snider. On Juanita’s side of the family, Gary is survived by his father-in-law Edgar (Donna) Thompson, and Juanita’s siblings: Tom (Lisa) Thompson, Wes (Erin) Thompson, Janelle (Jordan) Schumacher. He leaves behind many more family members and friends who love and adore him. He is preceded in death by his mother-in-law, Carole Thompson; brother-in-law Gary Thompson; grandparents Wayne & Nellie Simmons, and Earl & Ruby Giles. 
 
 We would like to extend our most heartfelt gratitude to the many doctors, nurses and other medical staff who cared for Gary and carried us through this most difficult time. 
 
 Funeral services Saturday Nov. 10, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. in the Moroni Stake Center, Viewings Friday from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. and Saturday from 9:00 to 10:30a.m. prior to services both at the church. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to: www.gofundme.com/gary-giles-medical-and-funeral-cost
– Gary Giles and his wife, Juanita, would often use their hands to catch the bats that would end up flying around inside their home in Moroni, Utah, and they never had any issues. "The bats would lick our fingers, almost like they could taste the saltiness of our fingers, but they never bit us," Juanita Giles tells KSL. But things started going south with Gary Giles' health in mid-October, when he first started experiencing neck and back pain, and he headed to the ER on Oct. 19. He was treated and sent home with meds, but soon he was wheezing and feeling numbness and tingling, and he was rushed by ambulance to the ER. He died at the age of 55 Sunday, surrounded by his family, and doctors say the cause of death was rabies, likely from the bats. It's Utah's first death from rabies in almost 75 years. On a GoFundMe that has raised more than $7,300 to help the family pay for medical and funeral costs, one of Giles' daughters explains her dad was transferred to the ICU on Oct. 20, and the family was told he was in a coma on Oct. 26. He was taken off life support Sunday. A Utah Department of Health epidemiologist tells KSL contracting rabies is rare, and that bats are the most common cause in Utah, but that once symptoms pop up—and they can take three to 12 weeks to emerge—it's usually fatal. He adds people may not even feel the bat's tiny claws or teeth puncturing the skin. "I've always thought bats were kind of cute," Juanita Giles tells KSL, adding she and her husband would sometimes "wake up in the night and they would be walking on our bed." She adds: "I had no idea the kind of risk we were at." (A New Jersey woman strangled a rabid fox.)