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The death of a Kentucky man from rabies has state health officials issuing a reminder to residents.

The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services says the individual that died was a Northern Kentucky resident who received treatment in Kentucky and Ohio. The source of the individual’s exposure to rabies is unknown at this time and may have occurred during international travel outside the United States. 

The Kentucky Department for Public Health is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Northern Kentucky Health Department, and the Ohio Department of Health on the case investigation. It’s the first confirmed case of rabies for a Kentucky resident since 1996.

The KDPH says rabies is rare due to the routine vaccination of animals and other wildlife control efforts, but when left untreated the disease is usually fatal. Immediate medical care after a suspected exposure to rabies, however, is nearly 100 percent effective at preventing infection.

Rabies is typically spread through bites and scratches from an infected animal or from infected saliva or mucus entering the eyes, nose, mouth, or an open wound. The most common carriers of rabies in Kentucky are bats and skunks, but any mammal can be infected. 

Health officials say keep animals up to date on their vaccinations, avoid contact with wild animals, and talk to a healthcare provider immediately if bitten or scratched by a wild animal.

The National Weather Service in Louisville says confidence is growing that winter weather set to arrive in the area this weekend will be “significant and impactful.”

“We’re looking for a weather system to move into the area on Sunday with precipitation starting over Central Kentucky Sunday morning,” said NWS Louisville Forecaster Andrea Schoettmer. “That precipitation will likely start off as some snow and then change over to a wintry mix during the day on Sunday, and continue into the evening and overnight hours Sunday night into Monday morning.

Precipitation types are expected to change as the area goes through different temperature profiles.

“Sunday night can be more of a wintry mix with some snow for Central Kentucky, and then as we go into Monday morning before precipitation ends, turnover back to all snow,” Schoettmer said.

The NWS says during the day Sunday there is potential for significant icing along and north of the Western Kentucky and Bluegrass parkways. Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District Four Public Information Officer Chris Jessie says motorists should be aware of highway crews applying brine to the roadways in anticipation of the winter weather.

“We’re out doing those operations today, like we were on Thursday, to try and prevent any future problems,” Jessie said. “Should plowing become necessary and temperatures really drop later this week and into next week, that brine solution will really help when we need to clear those roads.”

Prepare your home and vehicle for possible winter weather, and if road conditions deteriorate avoid travel if possible.

Several area residents are among the most recent appointments made by Governor Andy Beshear to multiple Kentucky boards and commissions.

Central Kentucky Community Foundation President and CEO Davette Swiney was reappointed to the Endow Kentucky Commission, which according to statute is “responsible for the planning, implementation, and direction of a strategic and collaborative philanthropic partnership to focus on building endowment funds that will address community needs through community foundations.”

Sierra Enlow of Hodgenville was appointed as a citizen-at-large to serve on the Kentucky Tobacco Research Board. Bill McCloskey of Bardstown was also appointed to that board to represent research and development.

Carl Kaelin of Leitchfield was appointed to the Veterans’ Program Trust Fund Board of Directors. Kaelin will represent the Veterans of Foreign Wars on the board.

Elizabethtown City Council Member Julia Springsteen was reappointed to the Animal Control Advisory Board. Springsteen represents the Kentucky League of Cities on the board.