Canada: Ontario’s first human rabies case in over 50 years linked to ‘direct contact’ with bat – Times of India
Ontario has reported its first case of human rabies acquired within the province since 1967. The affected individual, a resident of Brantford-Brant, is currently receiving treatment in a hospital. According to CBC News, the Brant County Health Unit (BCHU) has identified a bat from the Gowanda area in the Timiskaming region, north of Sudbury, as the likely source of exposure.Rabies, a viral disease affecting the brain and spinal cord, is often fatal if left untreated. Dr Kieran Moore, Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health, said that the infection is believed to have occurred following "direct contact" with a bat. Dr Moore urged anyone in Ontario who has had direct contact with a bat, even in the absence of visible bites or scratches, or has been exposed to saliva or tissues from an infe...