Beaver tests positive for rabies after being attacked
Witness video showed Bieber attacking a family in Mahwah, New Jersey. Animal control confirmed that the animal tested positive for rabies.
An 11-year-old Canadian boy died of rabies nearly two weeks after waking up to find a bat on his face, according to a newly released medical case report.
The unidentified boy was staying with his family in a cottage in northern Ontario in the summer of 2024 when he woke up to find a bat lying above his nose and mouth, according to a report published June 29 in the Journal of the Canadian Medical Association. He slammed the bat away and his father caught it and threw it outside.
The family did not seek medical attention because the boy was unharmed and had no noticeable bite marks or scratches. However, after approximately 19 days, she developed facial numbness and persistent vomiting, after which her symptoms rapidly worsened.
Doctors ultimately diagnosed rabies, the first locally transmitted human case reported in Ontario since 1967, according to the report. Despite aggressive treatment, the boy died after being hospitalized for more than two weeks.
Doctors say rabies can be mistaken for other diseases
According to the report, the boy first developed progressive facial numbness and tingling on the right side of his face, followed by loss of appetite, pain when swallowing, and vomiting. He was initially examined at an emergency clinic and treated for suspected Bell’s palsy caused by the herpes simplex virus.
When his symptoms worsened, he was rushed to the emergency room, where he developed a fever, confusion, and hallucinations. Doctors suspected rabies after learning the boy had had direct contact with a bat several weeks earlier. A saliva test later confirmed that the bat was infected with a variant of the rabies virus. Despite intensive supportive care, his neurological condition continued to deteriorate and he died 17 days after admission.
The report authors said the case highlights the importance of seeking immediate medical evaluation after direct contact with a bat, even if there are no visible bites or scratches. Once symptoms of rabies appear, the disease is almost always fatal. However, treatment soon after exposure can prevent the development of infection.
Wisconsin girl begins treatment for rabies after bat bite
The report comes as public health officials continue to warn about the risk of rabies following a recent incident in Wisconsin in which a 6-year-old girl received preventive treatment after being bitten by a bat.
Cecilia Kael was climbing a tree in her Tigerton front yard on June 23 when a bat got caught in her leg, her family said. The bat was captured and later tested positive for rabies, allowing doctors to quickly begin a series of post-exposure vaccinations on the girl.
Local health officials said the incident is another reminder to avoid contact with bats and other wildlife and seek medical attention if you think you may be infected.
“Educate your children, we think a lot of animals are really cute, and they are, but be careful not to approach any wild animals,” said Nick Mau, health officer with the Shawano-Menominee County Health Department. “Safety comes first. Remember that all animals can transmit diseases, and rabies is one of them. We respect wild animals and can watch them from a distance.”
What is rabies?
Rabies is a viral disease that attacks the central nervous system and is almost certainly fatal once symptoms begin, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The virus is spread through the saliva and nervous system tissues of infected mammals, usually through bites. In North America, most human rabies infections are caused by bats.
Human cases of rabies remain rare. According to a Canadian report, only 28 human cases have been reported in Canada since 1924, while fewer than 10 people die from rabies each year in the United States, according to a CDC report.
Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@usatodayco.com or X @athompsonUSAT.
