InNews
A silver-haired bat, pictured in southern Ontario. The majority of rabies instances in Canada are attributed to silver-haired bats. The specific species involved in this occurrence remains unidentified.(Image credit: Stan Tekiela Author / Naturalist / Wildlife Photographer/Getty Images)
- Facebook
- X
- Reddit
- Pinterest
- Flipboard
Share this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleSubscribe to our newsletter
An 11-year-old boy in Ontario, Canada, has succumbed after being exposed to a rabid bat that was found resting on his face while he slept. Medical professionals reported that the boy showed no apparent bite or scratch marks and did not exhibit symptoms for the initial 19 days following the encounter.
During a family vacation at a northern Ontario cottage in 2024, the boy was awakened during the night by a bat on his nose and mouth, according to a report detailed in the Canadian Medical Association Journal on June 29. His father managed to capture the bat in a cooking pot and released it outdoors. Given that the child had no visible injuries and the bat did not appear unusually aggressive, his parents opted against seeking medical attention, the report indicated.
A few weeks later, the child began to experience sensations of tingling, numbness, and swelling on the right side of his face. Upon examination at his local hospital, his vital signs appeared normal, apart from an increased heart rate and white blood cell count.
The subsequent day, the boy’s condition deteriorated: he lost sensation in his right facial area and his speech started to become slurred. While awaiting further care at the hospital, he developed a fever, confusion, hallucinations, and difficulty with swallowing, followed by an excessive production of saliva.
Following four days in intensive care at McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario, the child tested positive for rabies. After five days, his brain stem reflexes were no longer present, signifying a complete loss of brain stem functionality. Seventeen days after his admission, following discussions between his family and medical specialists, he was removed from life support and passed away.
Rabies is a viral affliction that predominantly impacts the central nervous system, as per the CDC. It is primarily transmitted through bites and scratches from infected creatures, with bats accounting for the majority of cases in North America, according to the boy’s physicians.
“Bats present a distinct hazard because bites or scratches can be minor and are easily overlooked, and individuals may not recall or recognize an exposure to a bat,” the medical team stated in their report.
According to a 2013 publication in the Journal of Virology, silver-haired bats (Lasionycteris noctivagans) are responsible for the majority of rabies cases in Canada. Other animals such as skunks, foxes, and raccoons also frequently carry the disease.
The rabies virus must reach the brain for symptoms to manifest, but once symptoms appear, the infection is nearly invariably fatal, with most fatalities occurring within one to two weeks of symptom onset. Nevertheless, prompt intervention post-exposure—encompassing wound cleansing, antibody administration, and a series of vaccinations—is almost always successful in preventing the disease, according to the CDC.
RELATED STORIES
- Diagnostic dilemma: Man contracted rabies from an organ transplant after the donor was scratched by a skunk
- Surge in cancer among younger adults might be explained by accelerated ‘biological aging,’ preliminary study suggests
- Scientists infected a ‘vagina on a chip’ with gonorrhea, then eradicated it with a novel antibiotic discovered by AI
Rabies in humans is exceedingly uncommon in North America, with fewer than 10 fatalities documented in the U.S. annually, according to the CDC. In Canada, a mere 28 human deaths have been reported since 1924, as per the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association. Despite this rarity, the boy’s physicians have underscored the critical importance of immediate medical evaluation following contact with bats or other animals potentially carrying the disease.
“Early detection of exposure and prompt PEP [postexposure prophylaxis] continue to be the sole effective methods for rabies prevention,” they stated. “Any direct human interaction with a bat, even without a discernible bite or scratch, warrants PEP.”
They further noted that rabid bats do not consistently exhibit the typical signs associated with rabies, such as aggressive behavior or foaming at the mouth. “Any direct human contact with [a] bat is considered high risk,” they added.
