11-year-old boy died of rabies after waking up with a bat on his face, report reveals

(CNN) — An 11-year-old Canadian boy died of rabies after waking up with a bat on his face.

Though it happened in 2024, the situation was detailed in a report published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Doctors said the child had no visible bite marks, so his family did not seek treatment after the bat was released outside.

But about three weeks later, the boy developed numbness in his face and rapidly worsening neurological symptoms.

Rabies was confirmed four days into his hospital admission.

Two weeks later, he died.

Health experts say rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms appear, so any direct contact with a bat should be considered high risk.

Experts say prompt treatment can prevent the disease.