Vampire Bats are Deadly

There may be no such things as vampires, but there are vampire bats. And they're deadly:

At least 38 Warao Indians have died in remote villages in Venezuela, and medical experts suspect an outbreak of rabies spread by bites from vampire bats. [...]

Outbreaks of rabies spread by vampire bats are a problem in various tropical areas of South America, including Brazil and Peru, Rupprecht said.

He said researchers suspect that in some cases environmental degradation — including mining, logging or dam construction projects — may also be contributing to rabies outbreaks.

"Vampire bats are very adaptable," Rupprecht said. And when their roosts are disrupted or their normal prey grow scarce, "Homo sapiens is a pretty easy meal."

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ge0jd_aFOR3NleqOfs00jLCASLRQD92EH3J80 - via Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine