Vampire Bats ATTACK More Than 500 In Peru

Northeastern Peruvians are the latest to fall victim to a vampire craze -- but this one is a lot more serious than a schmaltzy teen flick.

The Peru health ministry is battling an outbreak of rabies spread by vampire bats. So far, the bloodsucking bats have attacked more than 500 indigenous people in the Urakusa region, near the border with Ecuador. Four children are thought to have died from rabies as a result.

Authorities say that while the vampire bats normally prey on livestock and other wildlife, this year's abnormally cool temperatures and recent deforestation in the area are to blame for the attacks.

Jose Bustamente, a Health Ministry official, told the Daily Telegraph that 97 percent of the 508 people who have been bitten had already been treated with anti-rabies vaccine, with the rest expected to be vaccinated in the next few days.