CALGARY — Doctors are warning Canadians to seek immediate medical attention after any contact with a bat following the death of an Ontario boy who contracted rabies after a seemingly harmless encounter at a family cottage.A new case report published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal details how an 11-year-old boy died from rabies in 2024 after waking up with a bat lying across his nose and mouth while staying at a cottage in northern Ontario.According to the report, the boy brushed the bat away and his father captured it in a pot before releasing it outside. Because there were no visible bite marks or scratches and the bat did not appear sick, the family did not seek medical attention.Nearly three weeks later, the child began experiencing tingling, numbness and swelling on the right side of his face. His condition rapidly worsened despite visits to an urgent care clinic and hospital emergency department. He was eventually removed from life support and died with his family at his bedside.Dr. Brian Hummel, a pediatric infectious disease physician at McMaster Children's Hospital and senior author of the report, said the family wanted the case shared to help raise awareness about the dangers of rabies exposure.“It was important to us and to the family to take the opportunity to find learning experiences and lessons that we could take from his case to try and help spread awareness and understanding of rabies infection and risks,” Hummel told CBC.Rabies remains extremely rare in Canada, with only 28 human cases reported since 1924. However, once symptoms begin, the disease is almost always fatal..New rules coming about taking your pet dog into the US.“If you get symptomatic rabies infection, it is near universally fatal. But if you get the prevention before symptoms develop, it is near universally successful,” Hummel said.The virus typically incubates for several weeks before symptoms appear, creating a critical window during which post-exposure treatment can prevent infection.Health officials say anyone who has physical contact with a bat should consult a medical professional immediately. Bats have very small teeth, meaning bites can occur without being noticed. Rabies can also be transmitted when saliva enters the body through small cuts or through the eyes, nose or mouth.“Any time a bat has touched the human skin, that would be a reason to go and see your health care provider right away,” Hummel said.When exposure is suspected, patients may receive post-exposure prophylaxis, which includes a series of rabies vaccinations and an injection of rabies immunoglobulin. The first vaccine dose is administered immediately, followed by additional doses on days three, seven and 14.The vaccine stimulates the body's immune response, while the antibody injection provides immediate protection as the immune system develops its own defences.Side effects are generally mild and temporary, including fever, chills, sweating and general discomfort. Severe allergic reactions are rare.“Given the near certainty of death with rabies infection, the benefits almost always outweigh the risks,” Hummel said.The last rabies-related death in Canada before the Ontario case occurred in British Columbia in 2019 following bat exposure. Ontario had not recorded a human rabies case since 1967.While rabies can also be carried by animals such as skunks, raccoons and foxes, infectious disease experts say bats remain the primary source of human exposure in Canada.
