Public Health Brantford recommends all children in Ontars. Dacare gets treatment after Rabid Bat
Public Health Officer recommends that all children in Brentford, Onts, Dacare are vaccinated for rabies, when a child got a dead bat and handed over to a worker last week.
Grand Eri Public Health (Gaf) is hosting a series of clinics where children can receive rabies post-exposure prophylaxis. Treatment includes a dose of rabies immune globulin, four doses of rabies vaccine given over a two-week period, according to a memorandum for parents and parents that were seen by CBC Hamilton.
Treatment is being offered “with an abundance of caution,” Considering the presence of other bats associated with Creative Minds decare, Dr. Health Acting Medical Officer. Jason Malenfent said in an email. “While Dacare has assured us that the children were always in supervision, and therefore the risk of any other direct contact with the bat is low, young children may not be able to report firmly whether they had possible contact.”
Last week, daycare, which is in the south -west of the city, Closed August 11 A bat was followed by a positive test for rabies.
Gaf investigated and told that two people came in direct contact with the bat. This recommended that they get treatment and pursue the creative mind. Reopen on Monday Once a wildlife management company took steps to prevent bats from entering the building.
Dacare said a live bat was caught and released inside the decare a day after the dead bat. Owner Vicky Mainab said that no one came in direct contact with it. Creative Minds also said that workers had received bats outside in June but even then there was no contact.
Kim Stewart, a son of a son going to the decare, told CBC Hamilton on Friday that she took her to vaccinate against the virus on her doctor’s recommendation, and knew that other parents and activists were doing the same.
Alina Lukich, spokesperson of the Brant Community Healthcare System, said that the team of Brentford General Hospital conducted 10 rabies vaccination at the hospital on 14 August.
It is difficult to tell if a bat has bitten you or scratched you
It is difficult to say whether one bat has rabies or not to see it; Environmental Health Keith Kori’s Gaf Manager said in an interview, it is also possible and it is possible to feel it.
Corey said, “Rabies is transmitted during cutting and scratching or with an open wound with saliva of an infected animal or direct contact with your eyes, nose or mouth.” “With bats, it is possible that you will not really see the bite marks that have been left.”
The Ministry of Natural Resources of Ontario (MNRF) said that this is because there are small, needle -like teeth and claws of bats. Therefore, anyone can be exposed with any bat, until it is occupied and conducts negative tests for rabies, then the Ministry says. Website,
Corey said that touching a dead bat also has a risk of transmission.
Generally, Corey said, the risk of coming in contact with a bat is low. If you do, he said, consider if you may have a bite or scratch or its saliva can be touched. If you think you may have, contact your doctor.
From there, he said, your doctor may advise if you should receive rabies treatment, which is administered in partnership with your local health department.
If you find a bat inside your home or business, he advises a wildlife management company to remove the bat and catch it for testing.
The percentage of bats with rabies is ‘low’ in Ontario
MNRF says on its website, “While the stress of the bat is present in rabies Ontario, the percentage of Rabid bats is low.”
In 2024, there were 90 confirmed cases in bats in the province. Fox, scank and racoon can also carry viruses.
The ministry said that all rabies strains are dangerous and can cause disease in any mammal. Once the clinical signs of rabies show, it is almost always fatal, it notes.
Since 1924, Canada’s Public Health Agency says 28 people have died in Canada with rabies cases. According to WebsiteNine of those cases were in Ontario.
Last year, A Brantford-sector child died From 1967, rabies in the first domestic acquired case of human rabies in the province. The child came in contact with the bat somewhere else in the province.
Gaf has seen an increase in the number of calls of bat-related events this year compared to previous years.
“This more awareness provides more opportunities for the public to remind the public that rabies is a stopped disease,” he said. “To handle bats or wild animals and to avoid any direct contact, and to remove any of these animals is always very important to contact wildlife control service. It is also important to ensure that pets and livestock are always based with their rabies vaccination.”
