Official verifies that a toddler in Ontario who was exposed to bats died from rabies
Other animals known to carry rabies include raccoons, foxes, and skunks. Household pets are also at risk and must be vaccinated against the virus.
An Ontario health official has reported that a child has died from rabies after being exposed to a bat in the northern region of the province.
Dr. Malcolm Lock, the acting medical officer of health for the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit, which serves an area south of Hamilton, confirmed the child's death during a board of health meeting.
During the meeting on Wednesday, Lock detailed the “unfortunate” circumstances surrounding the case, stating that it was contracted in northern Ontario.
“Basically, they woke up with a bat in the room. The parents looked at the child, didn’t see any signs of a bite or scratches or saliva, and didn’t seek getting the rabies vaccine,” he explained.
“So, unfortunately, that child is now deceased.”
The child's age has not been disclosed.
Lock indicated that rabies is on the rise within the bat population, reporting a 16 percent positivity rate this year, compared to less than 10 percent in previous years.
His comments regarding rabies included references to “recent cases in Brant County,” which fall outside the jurisdiction of the Haldimand-Norfolk unit, as noted by a spokesperson for Norfolk County on Thursday.
The health unit for Brant County, situated just north of the Haldimand-Norfolk area, reported a rabies case involving a resident from Brantford, Ontario, on September 6. They stated that the suspected exposure occurred in the Gowganda area of the Timiskaming region in northern Ontario, and at that time, the patient was hospitalized.
A spokesperson for the Brant County Health Unit confirmed on Thursday that there has been only one human case of rabies in the county but chose not to disclose further information.
The Haldimand-Norfolk and Brant County health units are currently exploring a potential merger.
Since 1924, Canada has documented fewer than 30 human cases of rabies.
According to Health Canada, all cases since 1967 have resulted from rabid bat exposure within Canada or exposure outside the country.
Public health officials assert that there has never been a recorded instance of rabies transmission from human to human.
The rabies virus attacks the nervous system, leading to inflammation of the spinal cord and brain, and it poses a serious health risk.
In a news release on rabies prevention issued last month by Lock’s health unit, it was highlighted that bites and scratches from bats can be difficult to detect due to the small size of their teeth.
Other animals known to carry rabies include raccoons, foxes, and skunks. Household pets are also at risk and must be vaccinated against the virus.
“Nearly all the cases that we’ve had result in death, so it is extremely important that people that have any form of exposure seek the proper medical attention,” Lock emphasized.
