A child in Canada died of rabies after being exposed to a bat in his bedroom, health officials said this week.
Dr. Malcolm Lock, chief medical officer of the health unit in Haldimand-Norfolk, Ontario, said on Wednesday the child got the virus in his room from a bat.
“They woke up with a bat in their room,” Lock said, as quoted by Canadian media. “The parents looked, they didn’t see any signs of bites or scratches or saliva, and they didn’t want to get a rabies vaccine, unfortunately that child is dead.”
The child was hospitalized in early September, according to Dr. Kieran Moore, Chief Medical Officer in Ontario, confirming the first case of rabies in the province since 1967.
“The Brant County Health Unit has received laboratory confirmation of a human case of rabies in a Brantford-Brant resident. The disease is suspected to have been acquired through direct contact with a bat in Ontario.” Said Dr. Moore.
No other details, including the child’s age and gender, have been released.
“Due to personal health information and patient confidentiality reasons, I cannot comment on the specific case,” a Health Ontario spokesperson told CBS News in an email.
How is rabies spread and what are the symptoms?
Rabies is a deadly virus that attacks the nervous system in humans and animals, causing inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. It is usually spread to humans through direct contact with the saliva of an infected animal through a scratch or bite.
Rabies is commonly found in bats, raccoons, foxes, skunks and other domestic pets. Without proper and prompt treatment after symptoms appear, rabies is nearly 100 percent fatal in animals and humans, according to Haldimand and Norfolk Health Services, where the child was admitted.
Treatment has been shown to be almost 100% effective in preventing the disease if someone is exposed, although it must be started before symptoms appear.
Bats are a unique threat because their injuries can be difficult to see because of their small teeth, and bats cannot be vaccinated through the state’s programs, health officials said.
If bitten by an animal suspected of having this virus, health officials advise that the wound be washed thoroughly with soap and water for 15 minutes and rushed to the hospital.
According to the CDC, the incubation period for rabies can range from weeks to months, depending on the location of exposure, severity of exposure and age.
“The first symptoms of rabies, called the prodrome, may be fever-like, including weakness, discomfort, fever, or headache. There may also be discomfort, stinging, or itching in the bite area. These symptoms may last several days,” said the CDC.
In Canada, there have been 28 known cases of rabies in humans since it was first reported in 1924, according to federal government data. All charges were fatal.
Just last week, a An American citizen died due to exposure to rabies after being exposed to a bat in western Minnesota in July.
Ahmad Mukhtar
