In brief
An 11‑year‑old boy in Ontario died in 2024 after waking to a bat on his face during a family cottage visit. Although no obvious injury was seen, he developed numbness and facial swelling 19 days later, and doctors misdiagnosed him with Bell’s palsy and herpes. Quickly suspected as rabies by specialists at the University of Manitoba, confirmed tests found the bat rabies virus, but the child succumbed 17 days after hospital admission. The rare deaths (28 since 1924) underline the critical need for post‑exposure prophylaxis and ongoing vaccination programs.
An 11‑year‑old child in Ontario has died in 2024 after a bat landed on his face during a family cottage visit. The boy swatted the animal away, and his parents did not seek treatment because they believed the bite was harmless.
Symptoms emerged 19 days later with numbness and swelling on the left side of his face. Doctors first treated him for suspected Bell’s palsy and herpes, but the condition progressed to fever, difficulty swallowing, confusion and visual hallucinations.
He was intubated and admitted to a paediatric intensive care unit. Experts from the University of Manitoba quickly suspected rabies, and subsequent testing confirmed the diagnosis. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency identified a bat rabies virus variant.
Despite emergency care, the boy died 17 days after admission. The case highlights the rarity of rabies in Canada—28 deaths since 1924—and stresses the importance of post‑exposure prophylaxis and ongoing vaccination programs.
