Source: NY Post
An 11-year old boy from Northern Ontario, Canada, died of rabies after waking to find a bat on his face while sleeping, highlighting the importance of seeking medical care after any direct bat contact. According to a case report published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, the child showed no visible bite marks or scratches, so his family did not seek post exposure treatment.
About 19 days later, he developed facial numbness, vomiting, and progressive neurological symptoms before being diagnosed with rabies, the first locally acquired human case in the region since 1967. Despite intensive medical care, he died after being removed from life support. Physicians published the case to raise awareness that bat bites can be so small they leave no visible evidence, yet still transmit the virus. Experts emphasize that rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms appear but is highly preventable when post-exposure prophylaxis is administered promptly after any suspected exposure to bats.