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Texas Teen Infected With Rabies Dies

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May 12, 2006 7:39 pm US/Pacific

Texas Teen Infected With Rabies Dies

HOUSTON (AP) ―

Click to enlarge 1 of 1: A bat is being blamed for the rabies that killed a Houston teenager (File).
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A Texas teenager stricken with rabies he likely contracted when a bat flew into his bedroom and bit him as he slept has died.

The Houston Chronicle reports that the Humble High School sophomore had been in an induced coma for several days at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston but he died today.

He began showing rabies symptoms last week.

Health experts say bats' teeth are extremely small and sharp, so a person could be bitten and not realize it.

Hours before his death, fellow players on the Humble Wildcats team tearfully prayed for his recovery. Classmates dressed in white to show solidarity for him and some pinned his photo to their shirts.

Doctors had been using an experimental treatment, a combination of sedatives and antiviral drugs, on the teenager.

The treatment is credited with saving the life of a Wisconsin girl, making her the first unvaccinated human on record to survive rabies.

Following his death, the hospital issued a statement in which the teen's family expressed their thanks to the community for their prayers and support