Tragic Rabies Case: 11-Year-Old Succumbs After Bat Encounter in Sleep

A tragic case in Ontario, Canada, has seen an 11-year-old boy succumb to rabies, as detailed in a recent article in a medical journal published on Monday.

The report from the Canadian Medical Association Journal refrains from disclosing the identities of the child and his family but reveals he was admitted to a hospital weeks after an incident involving a bat.

According to the journal, the family recounted a disturbing incident that occurred during their stay at a cottage in northern Ontario. Nineteen days prior to the onset of symptoms, the boy was startled awake by a bat perched on his nose and mouth. Reacting swiftly, he brushed the bat away. His father managed to capture the animal in a cooking pot before releasing it outdoors.

The journal noted that the boy showed no visible wounds on his face, and his parents believed the bat behaved normally, leading them to forego seeking medical advice at the time.

The boy was ultimately admitted to a hospital 20 days after the encounter with the bat, when his parents brought him to an emergency room. He was first sent home but then brought back the following morning and admitted to the hospital.

Doctors noted that the boy’s condition “rapidly worsened” by the evening, but he spent more than two weeks in the hospital before dying.

“By day 5 of admission, his brainstem reflexes were absent. Life-sustaining therapies were withdrawn on day 17 of admission, and he died peacefully with his family at his bedside,” the journal article said.

Doctors who authored the article warned that any direct human contact with a bat, even in the absence of a visible bite or scratch, should be discussed with public health authorities.

Rabies is almost always fatal in humans if not treated quickly with postexposure prophylaxis, or PEP. The treatment is nearly always successful if administered promptly after exposure.