Haldimand Norfolk Public Health has confirmed the death of a child in the Brantford area this week.
The child, whose age and sex have not been made public, was hospitalized last month after being exposed to the rabies virus in the Timiskaming region, north of Sudbury.
The precise date of the child’s death has not been revealed.
The parents had seen a bat in their child’s bedroom when he woke up in the morning, the region’s public health chief, Dr. Malcolm Lock, said Wednesday.
“The parents looked, saw no signs of bites, scratches or saliva, and did not seek vaccination [l’enfant] against rabies,” he said.
Inflammation
“Rabies is a viral infection that causes inflammation of the brain and spinal cord,” said Ontario’s Chief Medical Health Officer, Dr. Kieran Moore.
“It typically spreads to humans through direct contact with the saliva of an infected animal, such as a bite or scratch.”
Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health. (Canadian Press Archives)
Rabies treatment is almost 100% effective, according to public health.
However, it is a fatal disease if it is not treated before symptoms appear.
“Immediate medical attention after suspected exposure to rabies is essential,” notes Dr. Moore. Post-exposure medical care includes washing the area with soap and water as soon as possible, a dose of rabies immune globulin, and a series of rabies vaccines that should be administered as soon as possible after exposure. »
Extremely rare
This is the first time in nearly 60 years that a human has contracted rabies in Ontario.
Cases of rabies in humans are extremely rare due to the effectiveness of public health measures in prevention and control, explained Dr. Kieran Moore.
In Canada, rabies infections are more common in bats. (Archives La Tribune)
Since the beginning of the census of rabies cases in Canada in 1924, 28 deaths caused by this disease have been recorded, including some who were exposed abroad.
This includes nine deaths in Ontario and 12 in Quebec.
Small teeth
Bats have very small teeth, says University of Guelph Veterinary College professor Dr. Scott Weese. “So if you have been in contact with a bat, you may not have noticed a bite, but you should still contact public health as soon as possible,” he advises.
The professor recommends that the population always assume that a bat carries rabies.
In Canada, rabies infections are more common in bats.
A case of raccoon rabies has been detected in Maine, not far from the Canadian border with Estrie. (123RF)
However, they have also been observed in skunks in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario and in raccoons in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick.
In Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and northern Quebec, Manitoba and Labrador, cases of rabies infection have also been seen in foxes.
