Child dies of rabies after bat flies into bedroom and bites them in their sleep

An unnamed child has died of rabies in Ontario, Canada, marking the first confirmed rabies case in the country since 1967 as health officials confirm the parents did not seek a rabies vaccine

A child has died of rabies after a bat bit them while they slept.

The unnamed child had been in a hospital in Ontario, Canada since early September following the encounter with the rabid animal. It marks the first confirmed rabies case in the Canadian city since 1967. Officials have withheld the child's name, age, and gender to protect the family's privacy.

Rabies can be transmitted to humans through a number of animals, including bats, raccoons, coyotes, foxes and skunks. The Ontario child's parents did not see any signs of infection in their child. After the incident the child did not receive a vaccination against rabies. The virus has one of the highest mortality rates, with nearly 100% of people infected by a rabid animal dying.

A vaccine for the virus is available and has a 100% effective rate against it if administered within 48 hours. The death was announced by Malcolm Lock, a doctor at the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit at a health board meeting on October 2. He said: "They woke up with a bat in their room. The parents looked, didn't see any signs of a bite or scratches or saliva and didn't seek getting a rabies vaccine."

The incident occurred in an area north of Sudbury, Ontario, which houses hundreds of lakes and at least four different kinds of bat. Bats have incredibly small fangs meaning it is difficult to see potential bite marks, with doctors recommending anyone who comes into contact with the animal get a rabies vaccine to be safe. There are some signs to tell whether a bat should be treated with caution. Bats found active during the day, on the ground or unable to fly should be treated with caution.

Ontario's bat population has been greatly reduced since the discovery of a fungal disease in 2006. Said disease was first found in New York and causes a fungal growth on bat skin, which then disintegrates over time. Their ability to hibernate is then disrupted and it causes them to feel malnourished and lack energy. Rabies affects bats similarly to how it affects humans, with the nerve cells in the brain replicated rapidly and causing a series of key symptoms.

Fatigue, fever and headaches are all early signs of the infection which then advances into respiratory spasms and a tightness in the chest. A mental status can also change, with confusion, aggression and seizures all seen in patients who may also have to deal with limb paralysis as the infection takes over. Rabies almost always leads to a coma and death within a few weeks after the onset if the vaccine is not administered properly.

Dr Lock added: "It's extremely important that anyone who has a form of exposure [to bats] seeks medical attention,’ adding that treatment and vaccination should be quickly sought, even if bite marks are not immediately visible."