“He woke up to a bat in his room”: a child died of rabies in Ontario, Canada

BFMTV reports the death of a child in Ontario, Canada, following contamination with rabies. The tragic news was announced by local health authorities. In this region, this would be the first case of human contamination since 1967!

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A bat was found in the child’s bedroom. According to Doctor Malcolm Lock, in Ontario, 16% of them are infected with the disease. The latter is therefore suspected of being the cause of the child’s contamination.

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If, as Professor Lock explained, the deceased “woke up with a bat in his room”, his parents assured that they saw no trace of a bite or saliva on him. The child was taken to hospital but did not survive.

“Tens of thousands of deaths each year”

As Malcolm Lock reminds us, “It is extremely important that anyone who has been exposed to any form of the disease seek medical attention.” As a reminder, “rabies is a constantly fatal viral disease that affects mammals” and “can be transmitted to humans”, according to the definition of the Ministry of Health. Since 2001, French territory has been “rabies-free”. In 2019, “the first case of indigenous rabies” in mainland France since 1924 was detected.

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Rabies can cause “changes in behavior”, “disorders of consciousness which can lead to coma” and “more rarely motor disorders (numbness of a limb, paralysis)”.

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According to the World Health Organization (WHO), rabies is a disease that continues to cause “tens of thousands of deaths each year”. 40% of them concern children under 15 years old and this “tropical” and “neglected” disease remains “a serious public health problem in more than 150 countries”. In Canada, since 1924, 28 people have died from rabies in Canada.