Rabies reminder after Ontario boy's death two years ago

Doctors are urging Torontonians to seek immediate medical attention after any contact with bats, following the death of an 11-year-old Ontario boy from rabies nearly two years ago.

The case, published this week in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, describes what happened in the summer of 2024: the boy was awakened by a bat lying on his nose and mouth at a cottage in northern Ontario. He swatted it away and his father caught it in a pot and released it outside. The parents saw no visible scratches or bites and didn't think the bat was behaving oddly, so they didn't seek medical care.

Almost three weeks later, the boy developed tingling, numbness, and swelling on the right side of his face. His condition deteriorated rapidly over the following days. He was eventually taken off life support and died.

Dr. Brian Hummel, a pediatric infectious disease physician at McMaster Children's Hospital, was the case report's senior author. "Once symptomatic rabies infection occurs, it is near universally fatal," Hummel said. "But if you get the prevention before symptoms develop, it is near universally successful."

The rabies virus infects nerves around the entry site and makes its way into the spinal cord and brain. Bats are the primary concern in Canada — their tiny teeth can cause bites people don't even realize they've received. Saliva can also transmit the virus through cuts or contact with the eyes, nose, or mouth. "Any time a bat has touched the human skin, that would be a reason to go and see your health care provider right away," Hummel said. Rabies is extraordinarily rare in Canada, with only 28 cases reported since 1924.