Child dies from rabies after being bitten by a bat in their bedroom

(Gray News) – A child in Canada has died from rabies after officials say they were bitten by a bat in their bedroom.

According to local reports from CBC and CTV, Dr. Malcolm Lock of the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit confirmed the death to the board of health.

“They woke up with a bat in their room,” Lock told Canadian media. “The parents looked, didn’t see any signs of a bite or scratches or saliva, and didn’t seek getting a rabies vaccine, so unfortunately, that child is now deceased.”

The child was hospitalized over a month ago. No details, including the child’s name and age, have been publicly released.

The child was from Brantford, Ontario, which is about an hour and a half west of Buffalo, New York.

Officials said this is the first case of human rabies in Ontario since 1967 and the first ever for a resident of their city.

Rabies is nearly 100% fatal if not treated promptly before symptoms begin. Doctors urge anyone who has come into contact with a bat, even if there is no visible bite or scratch, to seek immediate medical attention.

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