An 11-year-old boy has died from rabies in Ontario, Canada, after a bat landed on his face while he slept at a cottage. The incident occurred roughly 19 days before symptoms began. The child swatted the animal away and his father captured and released it. Because there were no visible scratches or bites, the parents did not seek medical attention.
The boy later visited an urgent care clinic with facial numbness. His condition severely deteriorated after he began vomiting and experiencing pain while swallowing. He was eventually admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit with a high fever, confusion, hallucinations, and neurological decline.
Doctors strongly suspected rabies given the exposure history. Tests on the fourth day of hospitalization confirmed the diagnosis. The patient suffered progressive neurologic decline, and brain stem reflexes were absent by day five. Life-sustaining therapies were withdrawn on day 17, and he died peacefully with his family present.
Rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms appear. Health officials warn that unusual bat behavior-such as daytime activity or finding a bat inside a home-should be treated as a potential exposure risk, even without obvious injuries.