A tragic case has emerged in Brant County, southern Ontario, where a child lost his life to rabies after encountering a bat in his room. The identity and age of the child remain undisclosed, but authorities confirmed that the incident occurred a month ago and that the individual had been receiving hospital treatment.
This marks the first human case of rabies in Brant County, located about 200 km southwest of Toronto, and the first case of domestically acquired human rabies in Ontario since 1967.
Dr. Malcolm Lock, interim medical officer of health for the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit, which covers part of southern Ontario, revealed the details during a board of health meeting in Norfolk County. “Unfortunately, the case we had here was a child, and basically they woke up with a bat in the room,” he said.
Dr. Lock explained that the parents inspected the child for signs of bites, scratches or saliva, but found none, so they did not seek the rabies vaccine. “So, unfortunately, that child has already passed away,” he added. bbc.
The Brant County Health Unit had previously indicated that the exposure may have originated from a bat in the Gowganda area of the Timiskaming region, located further north in Ontario. Officials warn that bats across Ontario are known carriers of rabies.
Dr. Lock also noted that the rabies positivity rate in bats tested has increased this year, rising from 10% in previous years to 16%. “That’s another thing we’re trying to make the public aware of,” he said. “If they have any interaction with bats or wake up with a bat in their room, they should seek advice immediately.”
Rabies cases in Canada are extremely rare, with only 26 cases recorded since 1924, all of which have been fatal. According to the NHS, rabies is a “rare but serious infection” that is “almost always fatal once symptoms appear.”
By contrast, the United States reported 5,479 cases of animal rabies in 2022, predominantly among wild animals such as bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes. Domestic animals such as cats, cattle and dogs were also affected. Despite these numbers, human rabies deaths in the U.S. remain fewer than 10 per year, largely due to the effectiveness of early medical intervention.
Since bat bites can be small and difficult to detect, health authorities strongly recommend seeking medical advice if you have any contact with a bat. Immediate consultation with a local health department is crucial to preventing infection.