Ontario’s First Case of Human Rabies Since 1967 Confirmed in Brant County

A Little Brown Bat is shown in a handout photo. The Canadian Press/HO-Cory Olson, WCS Canada

Officials in the southern Ontario community of Brant County have confirmed a human case of rabies in a local resident, the first rabies case in the province since 1967.

Brant County Health Unit (BCHU) said the rabies is believed to have been contracted from a bat in the Gowganda area of the Timiskaming region in northeastern Ontario. The individual has been hospitalized, according to a Sept. 6 BCHU news release.

Brant County is a largely rural municipality about an hour southwest of Toronto.

“Our heartfelt thoughts are with this individual and their loved ones during this incredibly difficult time,” health unit medical officer of health Dr. Rebecca Comley said. “Rabies, though rare, is a serious virus in humans. If you have direct contact with any animal known to carry rabies, you should seek immediate medical attention.”

Ontario’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore said in a Sept. 6 statement that no further information about the individual will be released to protect the family’s privacy.

Rabies is a viral infection and causes inflammation in the brain and spinal cord, BCHU said.

Humans can get the disease from direct contact with an infected animal, such as a bite or scratch, even tiny unnoticeable ones, according to the BCHU. It can also be transmitted through exposure to an infected animal’s saliva or tissues.

Bats in all areas of Ontario are known to carry the disease, according to the release. The most common animals in Canada to carry rabies are bats, skunks, foxes, and raccoons.

BCHU said that there has never been a confirmed case of rabies in a local resident and that human cases are rare.

The last reported case of human rabies in Ontario was in 1967. Canada has seen 26 human cases since 1924, according to the release.

No documented cases of human-to-human transmission of rabies have been reported.

BCHU said it is assessing family members and other close contacts of the infected individual and will offered post-exposure treatment if needed.

BCHU offered tips to reduce the risk of rabies infection, including

• Keeping pets and livestock updated with rabies vaccination
• Not touching strange animals
• Keeping pets away from wildlife
• Supervising children when they are around animals
• Not letting pets roam free
• Not feeding pets outdoors as it can attract wild animals

Anyone bitten or scratched by a bat is advised to wash the wound with soap and water, and to seek medical attention immediately.

“Immediate medical care following suspected rabies exposures is critical,” Moore said. “Post-exposure medical care includes washing the area with soap and water as soon as possible, a dose of rabies immune globulin and a series of rabies vaccines which must be administered as soon as possible after exposure.”

The treatment is nearly 100 percent effective if administered quickly, he said.

BCHU serves a population of more than 136,000 people in the County of Brant and the City of Brantford, the release said.