An 11-year-old Canadian boy has died of rabies after waking up with a bat on his face during a family cottage stay in northern Ontario, according to medical experts.
The incident occurred when the child awoke during the night to find the animal covering his nose and mouth.
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He immediately swatted it away, and his father captured the bat in a cooking pot before releasing it outside.
The family did not seek medical care because the boy had no visible bite marks or scratches.
Health officials emphasize that any direct bat contact requires evaluation, as small bites often go unnoticed.
Weeks later, the boy developed facial swelling and paralysis. He visited multiple clinics and emergency rooms, where doctors initially treated him for herpes and Bell's palsy.
His condition worsened with fever, confusion, and severe hallucinations, leading to intubation in a pediatric care unit.
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The infectious disease service strongly suspected rabies given the bat exposure and typical neurological features, according to a report published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal on July 2, 2026.
The boy ultimately lost brain stem function and died 17 days after hospital admission.
Rabies is a viral disease affecting the central nervous system and is almost always fatal once symptoms appear, according to the U.
S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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This is the first documented rabies case in Ontario since 1967.
