Human suspected of being bit by rabies-positive bat from Brantford, Ont.
CTV
The Brant County Health Unit (BCHU) says it has its first case this year of suspected human exposure to an animal with rabies after a person was believed to be bit by a bat.
The Brant County Health Unit (BCHU) says it has its first case of suspected human exposure to an animal with rabies this year in Brantford-Brant, after a person was believed to be bit by a bat.
The bat, found in Brantford, tested positive for the rabies virus and is now deceased.
The BCHU says the person suspected of being bit by the infected bat is not showing any rabies-related symptoms. The person is said to be receiving Rabies Post-Exposure Prophylaxis which includes wound washing, human rabies immune globulin, and a four-dose series of vaccines.
“Rabies, though rare, is a serious virus in humans,” said Dr. Rebecca Comley, Medical Officer of Health, in a media release. “If you have direct contact with any animal known to carry rabies, you should seek immediate medical attention. Although the risk of encountering a rabid animal in our community remains low, it's important to recognize that rabies is present in Brantford-Brant and throughout Ontario.”
Earlier this month, the Brant County Health Unit reported Ontario’s first domestic case of human rabies since 1967.
In that case, the health unit believed the person was exposed to the illness while travelling in the Gowganda area of the Timiskaming region in Ontario.
Rabies is a viral infection that causes brain and spinal cord inflammation, according to the BCHU. It is typically spread to humans through direct contact with saliva or mucous of an infected animal, such as through a bite or scratch. Animals that most commonly have rabies are bats, skunks, foxes, and raccoons in Canada.
