Rabies in Canada

Canadian health authorities have reported the death of a child due to rabies. This is the first case of this infectious disease in a human in the province of Ontario since 1967 - emphasized the doctor quoted by local media. In Poland, approximately 8-10 thousand cases of people being bitten by animals suspected of rabies are recorded annually. - I have the impression that we have forgotten about this disease, and the threat is still real - emphasized Lublin infectious disease consultant Dr. Grażyna Semczuk.

The child's death was announced by Dr. Malcolm Lock of the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit, the health authority for Haldimand County in eastern Canada. During Wednesday's board of health meeting, the doctor said the family in the Timiskaming district "woke up with a bat in their room." "The parents did not notice any bite marks, scratches or saliva and did not seek a rabies vaccine," Lock said, according to CBC.

The child died of rabies. The child was taken to hospital, where he later died. Authorities did not provide details about the deceased, including his age. Lock said the case of rabies in a human - the first reported in Ontario since 1967 - shows that rabies still poses a threat to humans. "It is extremely important that anyone who has had contact (with bats - ed.) seeks medical attention," the doctor stressed, explaining that a specialist should be contacted even if there are no bite marks or any symptoms. Lock added that rabies has been found in 16 per cent of bats in the Haldimand-Norfolk area this year, compared with less than 10 per cent in previous years. Bats are among the animals that most often transmit rabies to humans in Canada, the CBC reported.

In Poland, there are about 8-10 thousand cases of people being bitten by animals suspected of having rabies every year. - I have the impression that we have forgotten about this disease, and the threat is still real - said a few months ago Lublin consultant for infectious diseases, Dr. Grażyna Semczuk.

In Poland, the last fatal case of rabies in a human was recorded in 2002. According to the doctor, things were relatively calm until 2021, when 110 cases of the disease were recorded in animals - mainly cats and dogs - in the Masovian province.

In 2020, four deaths due to rabies virus infection were recorded in European Union countries. These people brought the disease from travel to Asian and African countries, where the most cases of rabies occur. In Asia, these include India, Thailand, Vietnam, China, and in Africa - Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar. Many infections also occur in Brazil. Annually, about 55 thousand people die from rabies worldwide.

- In these places, there is a real risk of direct contact with an infected animal. When traveling to these countries, it is worth considering pre-exposure prophylaxis, i.e. vaccination against rabies - appealed the infectious disease specialist. Preventive vaccinations are also used in people who have professional contact with animals, i.e. foresters, veterinarians, zootechnicians, naturalists.