11-year-old dies from rabies after bat landed on his face while he was sleeping

An 11-year-old boy died of a rabies infection successful Ontario, Canada, according to a aesculapian diary article published Monday.

Canadian Medical Association Journal did not place nan boy aliases his family, but wrote that he was first brought to a infirmary weeks aft an encounter pinch a bat.

"The patient’s family reported that, during a sojourn to a cottage successful bluish Ontario 19 days earlier denotation onset, nan boy had been awoken by a bat connected his chemoreceptor and mouth. He had swatted nan bat disconnected his face; his begetter had caught nan bat successful a cooking cookware and released it outside," CMAJ wrote.

MEASLES-INFECTED TRAVELER MAY HAVE EXPOSED PASSENGERS AT LAX AND NEARBY HOTEL, HEALTH OFFICIALS WARN

A communal noctule bat (Nyctalus noctula) photographed successful Kersdorf, Brandenburg, connected March 14, 2026. (Patrick Pleul / image confederation via Getty Images)

"The kid had nary visible lesions connected his face, and his parents did not see that nan bat had behaved erratically. Therefore, they did not activity aesculapian assessment," nan diary noted.

The boy was yet admitted to nan infirmary 20 days aft nan brushwood pinch nan bat, erstwhile his parents brought him to an emergency room. He was first sent location but past brought backmost nan pursuing greeting and admitted to nan hospital.

rabies vaccination (iStock)

Doctors noted that nan boy's information "rapidly worsened" by nan evening, but he spent much than 2 weeks successful nan infirmary earlier passing away.

MEASLES-INFECTED TRAVELER MAY HAVE EXPOSED PASSENGERS AT LAX AND NEARBY HOTEL, HEALTH OFFICIALS WARN

"By time 5 of admission, his brainstem reflexes were absent. Life-sustaining therapies were withdrawn connected time 17 of admission, and he died peacefully pinch his family astatine his bedside," nan diary article said.

Doctors who authored nan article warned that immoderate direct quality contact pinch a bat, moreover successful nan absence of a visible wound aliases scratch, should beryllium discussed pinch nationalist wellness authorities.

FILE - This photograph taken Nov. 1, 2018, shows veterinarian Amy Keith giving Lincoln a rabies changeable arsenic Veterinary Nurse and Veterinarian Assistant Nate Johnson provender Lincoln food wiz astatine Valley West Veterinary Hospital successful Charleston, W.Va. The U.S. authorities has begun scattering millions of packets of oral rabies vaccine from helicopters and planes complete 13 states from Maine to Alabama. The awesome purpose is to support raccoons from spreading their strain of nan deadly microorganism to states wherever it hasn't been recovered aliases isn't widespread, said section proceedings coordinator Jordona Kirby. (Craig Hudson/Charleston Gazette-Mail via AP)

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Rabies is virtually ever fatal successful humans if not treated quickly pinch postexposure prophylaxis, aliases PEP. The curen is astir ever successful if administered promptly aft exposure.