Boy Dies of Rabies After Waking with Bat on Face
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Medical experts have issued a critical rabies warning following the tragic death of an 11-year-old Canadian boy who contracted the fatal virus after waking up with a bat on his face.
The case, detailed in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, marks Ontario's first locally acquired human rabies infection since 1967.
The child was sleeping at a family cottage when he woke to find a bat resting across his nose and mouth. Because there were no visible bite or scratch marks, the family released the animal outside and did not seek immediate medical attention.
Nineteen days later, the boy developed rapidly deteriorating symptoms, including facial numbness, difficulty swallowing, and hallucinations. He tragically passed away in a pediatric intensive care unit.
Doctors urge the public to seek immediate post-exposure treatment after any bat contact, warning that bat teeth are so microscopic that bites can easily go completely unnoticed. Once rabies symptoms appear, the disease is universally fatal.
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