October 5th 2024.
A tragic incident has occurred in the Canadian province of Ontario, where a young child has passed away from rabies after a bat was discovered in their bedroom. This heartbreaking news was shared by Dr. Malcolm Lock of the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit during a board meeting on Wednesday. According to Dr. Lock, the child was exposed to the virus in an area just north of Sudbury. The child's parents had found a bat in their bedroom, but did not see any signs of bites and therefore did not seek medical attention.
Sadly, the child, whose name and age have not been disclosed, was hospitalized in early September and later passed away. This marks the first case of domestically-acquired human rabies in Ontario since 1967. As reported by the BBC, Dr. Lock also mentioned that the percentage of bats with rabies in the southern Ontario region has increased from less than 10% to 16% in recent years.
Rabies is a rare but deadly virus that can be transmitted to humans through the saliva of infected animals such as bats, foxes, raccoons, and coyotes. It can cause severe damage to the brain and spinal cord and is almost always fatal once symptoms appear, according to the World Health Organization. Health Canada also states that almost all human cases of rabies in Canada are a result of exposure to bats or the virus in another country.
Dr. Lock stressed the importance of seeking medical attention immediately after any form of exposure to bats. Even if bite marks are not visible, treatment and vaccination should be sought promptly. Health Canada reports that rabies cases among humans in the country are rare, with only 28 cases reported across six provinces since 1924, all of which were fatal.
In the UK, all reported cases of rabies since 1902 were acquired abroad, according to data from the British government. There have been 26 cases since 1946, all involving individuals infected in another country. In 2002, a licensed bat handler in Scotland passed away from a rabies-like virus that is present in a small number of indigenous bats. However, a subsequent study proved that they pose little threat to humans. The most recent case of rabies in the UK was of a traveler who was bitten by a cat in Morocco in 2018. It is crucial to take precautions and seek medical help in the event of exposure to potential carriers of the rabies virus.
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