An 11-year-old Canadian boy don die from rabies after bat wake am up by touching im nose and mouth. Di incident happen while di child dey visit cottage for Ontario with im family for 2024, according to report for Canadian Medical Association Journal wey dem publish on Monday.
Di boy, wey dem no name for report, swat di bat off im face, after which im father catch di winged mammal for pot and release am outside. Di boy parents no immediately seek medical attention because dia son no get any visible injuries and dem no tink di bat behave erratically, di journal state.
But 19 days later, di boy begin experience numbness and swelling for im face. Di Canadian Medical Association Journal chronicle im family taking am to get emergency care over di following days and both clinics and hospital doctors trying to diagnose im symptoms.
At first, an emergency clinic prescribe di boy antiviral medication wey dem use treat infections caused by herpes viruses as dem presume he might get Bell’s palsy, di temporary paralysis of facial muscles for one side of di face. Den he go hospital on back-to-back visits, first getting a presumed diagnosis of herpes gingivostomatitis, a viral infection of di mouth and gums, den returning di following day after di right side of im face go weak, di journal state.
While awaiting to be admitted, he develop fever of 39C (102F), along with difficulty swallowing, confusion and visual hallucinations. Im condition rapidly worsen dat day. He be intubated and admitted to di paediatric intensive care unit, di journal note.
Doctors at di University of Manitoba, Canada Department of Pediatrics and Child Health say dem strongly suspect rabies. Days later, a test confirm dat be di case. Di Canadian Food Inspection Agency also identify a bat rabies virus variant. Di boy die 17 days after being admitted to hospital. He get no history of allergies, sick contacts, tick bites, or recent travel outside di country.
Rabies infections be rare for Canada. Dey don get 28 human deaths due to rabies for di country since 1924, according to di Canadian Veterinary Medical Association. “Dis low rate of rabies be due to widespread, ongoing vaccination programs, and failure to continue these programs can and will result in a return of disease,” di association state for im website. Any direct human contact with a bat be indication for rabies postexposure prophylaxis – medical treatment wey dem give immediately after potential exposure to a rabid animal. Infection be almost always fatal once symptoms develop, di report state.
