{"id":358918,"date":"2026-06-30T23:32:02","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T18:02:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/?p=358918"},"modified":"2026-06-30T23:32:02","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T18:02:02","slug":"boy-11-dies-of-rabies-after-waking-up-with-bat-lying-on-his-mouth-news-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/2026\/06\/30\/boy-11-dies-of-rabies-after-waking-up-with-bat-lying-on-his-mouth-news-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Boy, 11, dies of rabies after waking up with bat lying on his mouth | News World"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Bats normally spread rabies through bites or scratches (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

An 11-year-old boy died from rabies lower than three weeks after he woke up with a bat lying over his nose and mouth.<\/p>\n

The kid contracted the lethal virus despite not having any apparent bite or scratch marks from the interaction, a report has shown.<\/p>\n

Nineteen days after the incident, the boy began presenting with symptoms consistent with the disease, including vomiting, facial \u2018pins and needles\u2019, and numbness.<\/p>\n

He visited the emergency department where he was given supportive care, as there is no such thing as a cure once the symptoms of the virus develop.<\/p>\n

The parents of the boy \u2013 who has not been named \u2013 agreed to share their son\u2019s story in a bid to boost awareness of the disease.<\/p>\n

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This was Ontario, Canada\u2019s first fatal rabies case in greater than 50 years. (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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It was the primary fatal case of rabies in Ontario, Canada, in greater than 50 years.<\/p>\n

Experts hope that a brand new report on the boy\u2019s death, published within the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), will provide critical guidance to assist prevent future rabies deaths.<\/p>\n

Rabies in humans is sort of at all times fatal, but post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) with a series of rabies vaccines and human rabies immune globulin injections can prevent death if administered promptly, before symptoms develop.<\/p>\n

Bats are essentially the most common carriers of rabies in North America, however the disease will also be passed from raccoons, skunks, and foxes.<\/p>\n

Bats pose a very heightened risk as scratches or bites could be small and difficult to see.<\/p>\n

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Bats pose a very high risk of rabies (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Report co-author Dr Brian Hummel said: \u2018Any direct human contact with a bat \u2013 even within the absence of a visual bite or scratch \u2013 is a sign for PEP and must be discussed with public health authorities.<\/p>\n

\u2018This is very necessary to contemplate as we approach the summer months, when human\u2013bat encounters are at their peak.\u2019<\/p>\n

He says individuals who could have been in touch with a wild animal that might potentially have rabies should seek medical attention promptly. <\/p>\n

\u2018Bats may or may not show classic signs of rabies; hence, any direct human contact with a bat is taken into account high risk,\u2019 he added.<\/p>\n

Within the case of possible rabies virus exposure, public health authorities must be notified and PEP must be began in consultation.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tSymptoms of rabies\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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In accordance with the NHS, symptoms take three to 12 weeks to look, but can appear after a number of days. They may appear after several months or years.<\/p>\n

Rabies is sort of at all times fatal once symptoms appear.<\/p>\n

Symptoms include:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Numbness or tingling where you were bitten or scratched<\/p>\n

Seeing things that are usually not there (hallucinations)<\/p>\n

Feeling very anxious or energetic<\/p>\n

Difficulty swallowing or respiratory<\/p>\n

Being unable to maneuver (paralysis)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Dr Hummel, a paediatric infectious disease specialist on the McMaster Children\u2019s Hospital and McMaster University, Ontario, continued: \u2018Rabies is sort of at all times fatal, with no established efficacious therapies, making prevention crucial.<\/p>\n

\u2018Rabies PEP is very effective if administered promptly, in consultation with public health authorities, after any direct human contact with a bat, even within the absence of visible lesions.<\/p>\n

\u2018In individuals with neurological symptoms that could be compatible with rabies, clinicians should ask about exposure to potentially rabid animals.\u2019<\/p>\n

There have been 27 confirmed cases of human rabies within the UK since 1924. <\/p>\n

All but one were contracted abroad, primarily from dog bites in South Asia or Africa, before the patient returned to Britain.<\/p>\n

The one recent case where rabies was contracted within the UK was in 2002, when a licensed bat handler in Scotland died from a rabies-like virus.<\/p>\n

The UK has been completely freed from terrestrial rabies \u2013 the sort spread between dogs and foxes \u2013 since 1922. <\/p>\n

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Bats normally spread rabies through bites or scratches (Picture: Getty Images) An 11-year-old boy died from rabies lower than three weeks after he woke up with a bat lying over his nose and mouth. The kid contracted the lethal virus despite not having any apparent bite or scratch marks from the interaction, a report has […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":358919,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20691],"tags":[20879,1209,5319,17506,18785,395,6551,26039,813],"class_list":["post-358918","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world","tag-bat","tag-boy","tag-dies","tag-lying","tag-mouth","tag-news","tag-rabies","tag-waking","tag-world"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t