A child died in Canada after falling victim to rabies. This is the first case of contamination in a human being in the Ontario region since 1967.
A child has died of rabies in the province of Ontario, Canada, local health authorities announced. A bat was found in his room, it is suspected of having contaminated it.
The announcement was made by Doctor Malcolm Lock on Wednesday October 2 during a meeting of the Haldimand-Norfolk Constituency Board of Health. The doctor said the child, whose age has not been released, was exposed to the virus in the Sudbury area in early September.
“He woke up to a bat in his room,” said Dr. Malcolm Lock.
The parents assured that they had not identified any trace of bite or saliva on their child and that they had not sought to be vaccinated against rabies. The child was taken to hospital, but died a short time later.
Increasing cases
This is the first case of rabies contamination recorded in a human being in the Ontario region since 1967.
According to Dr. Malcolm Lock, cases of bats suffering from rabies have increased in recent years, from less than 10% to 16% of animals infected.
“It is extremely important that anyone who has been exposed to any form [de la maladie] consult a doctor,” warns Malcolm Lock, recalling the importance of vaccination while the virus has not disappeared.
A viral disease that affects the brain
“Rabies is a viral disease (…) which is transmitted from an infected mammal, generally carnivorous (dog, cat, fox), to another animal or to humans”, indicates the French Ministry of Health on his site.
It causes “encephalitis, that is to say an infection of the brain”, which can present in several forms: “a change in behavior”, “disorders of consciousness which can go as far as coma” or “more rarely motor disorders (numbness of a limb, paralysis) or difficulty speaking.
Since 1924, only 28 cases of rabies have been recorded in humans in Canada. All were mortal. The Canadian health agency, however, clarified that these cases were almost exclusively the result of contamination occurring abroad.
