Health official confirms death of Ontario child following rabies diagnosis

A health official has confirmed a child in Ontario has died after they came in contact with a rabid bat.

“We’ve had one unfortunate death from rabies which also highlights the fact that rabies is still an entity. It’s still circulating,” Dr. Malcolm Lock, Haldimand-Norfolk County’s acting medical officer of health, said during a health board meeting on Wednesday.

The nearby Brant County Health Unit confirmed a case of human rabies in early September. According to Public Health Ontario, it was the first case of domestic human rabies recorded since 1967.

“Unfortunately, the case that we had, it was a child and basically, they woke up with a bat in the room. The parents looked at the child and didn’t see any signs of a bite or scratches or saliva, and didn’t seek getting the rabies vaccine. So unfortunately, that child is now deceased,” Lock said.

Although the Brant County Health Unit confirmed the impacted resident had been hospitalized, they never revealed more details about the identity of the patient, including their age.

Lock said it is a reminder to always seek medical attention if there is reason to believe a person has had any contact with a bat.

Once symptoms of rabies appear, it is almost always fatal.

An infection can be prevented if immediate medical intervention, including a series of vaccinations, is received.

Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore has previously said the illness is believed to have been acquired from a bat in northern Ontario’s Gowganda area of the Timiskaming region.