1st human case of rabies in Ontario since 1967 confirmed in Brantford-Brant resident
CBC
Ontario has recorded its first domestically acquired case of human rabies since 1967.
The Brant County Health Unit said Friday that a resident of Brantford-Brant is currently hospitalized with the virus. The unit added that the suspected exposure was from a bat in the Gowanda area of the Timiskaming region just north of Sudbury.
Dr. Kieran Moore, Chief Medical Officer of Health for Ontario, said in a statement on Friday that officials believe the person became infected after "direct contact" with a bat in Ontario. No details about the person will be released to protect privacy, he said.
Brant County Medical Officer of Health Dr. Rebecca Comley offered her sympathy to the patient.
"Our heartfelt thoughts are with this individual and their loved ones during this incredibly difficult time," she said in the release.
Comley said there has never before been a confirmed case of rabies in a Brantford-Brant resident.
Bats in all areas of Ontario are known to carry rabies, the unit said in the release.
Moore said close contacts of the person, including family members and health care providers, are being assessed and offered post-exposure prophylaxis as a precaution.
Rabies is a virus that affects the brain and spinal cord, he added.
"If anyone in Ontario has direct physical contact with a bat, even if there is no visible bite or scratch, or if they have been bitten or exposed to saliva or infectious tissues from another animal species, they should seek immediate medical attention," Moore said.
"The health care provider, in consultation with the local public health unit, will assess the risk of rabies and may offer vaccines to prevent infection."
Moore said immediate medical care after suspected rabies exposure is critical.
"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. This treatment is nearly 100 per cent effective when administered promptly."
According to the health unit, rabies cases in humans are so rare, there have only been 26 cases in Canada since 1924. It said there has never been a documented case of human-to-human transmission.
Drive south from Calgary on Highway 2 and watch as the speed cuts from 110 kilometres an hour down to 70, then 50, then 30 for a temporary school zone.
The new Ontario Line will include protective barriers at all stations to separate platforms from the tracks, something the Toronto Transit Commission has been considering adding to its subway system for years.
This First Person column is the experience of Andrew Stetson, a writer and storyteller in P.E.I. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ.
After years of seemingly unlimited growth for the craft beer industry, the party is winding down.
Even from a few kilometres away, Dr. Vitor Mendes Pereira is able to perform a critical diagnostic procedure, thanks to an internet connection and a remote-controlled robot.
The side of an abandoned fish sauce plant in St. Mary's, N.L. was ripped open after high winds overnight Friday into Saturday.
A police officer shot a man on Quinpool Road after he allegedly threatened them with a knife, Halifax Regional Police said in a news release.
For nearly a month, Montrealers from African countries have been gathering in the city's cafés, restaurants, bars and the comfort of their own homes to support their respective teams in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations — the continent's preeminent soccer tournament.
The union that represents Manitoba nurses says the emergency department at the hospital in Swan River is running with half the nurses required, with some shifts having no nurses at all.
Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl is taking a brief leave of absence to attend to a family illness in Germany.
A fire tore through a school on Blueberry River First Nation north of Fort St. John early Saturday morning, destroying a building that has served the northeastern B.C. community for decades.
UPDATE | In an email Saturday, Air Canada passenger Heather Badenoch told CBC that CBSA officials had reached out, asked if she had anything to declare, and assured her she wouldn't have any future problems travelling.