A tragic case has emerged in Brant County, southern Ontario, where a child lost their life to rabies after encountering a bat in their bedroom. The child’s identity and age remain undisclosed, but officials confirmed that the incident occurred a month ago, and the individual had been receiving hospital treatment.
This marks the first human case of rabies in Brant County—located about 200 km southwest of Toronto—and the first domestically-acquired human rabies case in Ontario since 1967.
Dr. Malcolm Lock, acting medical officer of health at the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit, which covers part of southern Ontario, revealed the details during a health board meeting in Norfolk County. “Unfortunately, the case that we had here was a child, and basically they woke up with a bat in the room,” he stated.
Dr. Lock explained that the parents inspected the child for any signs of bites, scratches, or saliva but found none, so they did not seek the rabies vaccine. “So, unfortunately, that child is now deceased,” he added, told BBC.
The Brant County Health Unit had previously indicated that the exposure might have originated from a bat in the Gowganda area of the Timiskaming region, located further north in Ontario. Authorities caution that bats throughout Ontario are known carriers of rabies.
Dr. Lock also noted that the positivity rate for rabies in tested bats has increased this year, rising to 16% from 10% in previous years. “That’s another thing we’re trying to make the public aware of,” he said. “If they have any interaction with bats or wake up with a bat in their room, they should seek advice immediately.”
Rabies cases in Canada are extremely rare, with only 26 recorded cases since 1924, all of which have been fatal. According to the NHS, rabies is a “rare but serious infection” that is “almost always fatal once symptoms appear.”
By contrast, the United States reported 5,479 animal rabies cases in 2022, predominantly among wildlife like bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes. Domestic animals such as cats, cattle, and dogs were also affected. Despite these numbers, human rabies fatalities in the U.S. remain below 10 annually, largely due to the effectiveness of early medical intervention.
Given that bat bites can be tiny and difficult to detect, health authorities strongly advise seeking medical guidance if you have any contact with a bat. Immediate consultation with a local health department is crucial to prevent infection.