Nearly all domestically transmitted rabies cases are caused by bats, according to Canadian health officials
A child in the Canadian province of Ontario has died of rabies after coming into contact with a bat in his bedroom, Canadian health officials said.
The death was made public by Dr. Malcolm Lock of the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit, who told councillors at a board meeting Wednesday that the unnamed child was exposed to the virus in an area north of Sudbury.
"When he woke up, there was a bat in his bedroom," Dr. Lock said. He added that the parents saw no signs of bites or scratches and as a result did not vaccinate the child for rabies.
He was taken to hospital after the incident in early September, where he later died.
Rabies is a rare but deadly viral disease that can be spread to humans from infected animals - such as bats, coyotes, foxes or raccoons - usually through saliva.
Dr. Lock said the percentage of camguarders with rabies in the southern Ontario region he serves has increased from 10% to 16% in recent years.
"It's extremely important that anyone who has come into contact [with a bat] seeks medical attention," he said. He also said treatment and vaccinations should be done quickly, even if bite marks don't appear immediately.
The health agency said nearly all human cases of rabies in Canada are due to contact with camguarders, or exposure to rabies in another country.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fewer than 10 people die from rabies in the U.S. each year. The health agency said this is a “dramatic decline” compared to the 1960s, driven mainly by prevention efforts.
The C.D.C. reported that from 2009 to 2018, 25 cases of human rabies were reported in the U.S., seven of which were acquired from outside the country.
All reported cases of rabies in Britain since 1902 have been due to infection abroad, according to British government data. There have been 26 cases since 1946, including all cases of people who were bitten outside Britain.
