11-year-old boy dies from rabies infection in Ontario, Canada

An 11-year-old boy died from rabies in Ontario, Canada, as reported in a medical journal article published on July 2, 2026. The boy was first brought to a hospital weeks after an encounter with a bat. According to the Canadian Medical Association Journal, the boy was awoken by a bat on his face during a visit to a cottage in northern Ontario, 19 days prior to the onset of symptoms. His family did not seek medical attention at the time, as they did not observe any unusual behavior from the bat and the boy had no visible injuries. The child was admitted to the hospital 20 days after the encounter, where his condition deteriorated rapidly. He spent over two weeks in the hospital before passing away. The authors of the article emphasized the importance of consulting public health authorities after any direct contact with bats, even without visible injuries, as rabies is nearly always fatal if not treated promptly with postexposure prophylaxis.