Ontario boy dies from rabies, first local case since 1967

An 11-year-old boy died from rabies in Ontario after waking to find a bat on his face, marking the province's first locally acquired human rabies case in over 50 years. The tragic incident, detailed in a new report published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, occurred in the summer of 2024 while the boy was visiting a cottage in northern Ontario.

The boy awoke with the bat resting across his nose and mouth. He swatted it away, and his father captured and released it outdoors. Seeing no visible bite marks or scratches, and because the bat did not appear to behave erratically, the parents did not seek medical attention. Nineteen days later, the boy developed facial numbness, tingling, and vomiting. His condition rapidly deteriorated, progressing to facial weakness, slurred speech, fever, confusion, difficulty swallowing, and hallucinations.

He was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit at McMaster Children's Hospital, where doctors confirmed a diagnosis of rabies. Despite supportive care, his neurological function declined. Life-sustaining therapies were withdrawn on the 17th day of his hospital admission, and he died peacefully with his family at his bedside....