Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/rabies-exposure-1.7614982
Public health recommends all children at Brantford, Ont., daycare get treatment after rabid bat found
The children may not reliably report having touched bats, acting medical officer of health says
Justin Chandler · CBC News · Posted: Aug 21, 2025 4:08 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago
A bat in a hand.
Public health officials are recommending that all children at a Brantford, Ont., daycare get vaccinated for rabies after a child found a dead bat and handed it to a worker last week.
Grand Erie Public Health (GEPH) is hosting a series of clinics where children can receive rabies post-exposure prophylaxis. The treatment includes one dose of rabies immune globulin, plus four doses of rabies vaccine given over a two-week period, according to a memo to parents and guardians that was viewed by CBC Hamilton.
The treatment is being offered "out of an abundance of caution, given the presence of other bats associated with" Creative Minds Daycare, Dr. Jason Malenfant, acting medical officer of health, said in an email. "While the daycare has assured us that children were always under supervision, and therefore the risk of any other direct contact with a bat remains low, young children may not be able to reliably report whether they had possible contact."
Last week, the daycare, which is in the city's southwest, closed Aug. 11 after a bat tested positive for rabies...
Public health recommends all children at Brantford, Ont., daycare get treatment after rabid bat found
The children may not reliably report having touched bats, acting medical officer of health says
Justin Chandler · CBC News · Posted: Aug 21, 2025 4:08 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago
A bat in a hand.
Public health officials are recommending that all children at a Brantford, Ont., daycare get vaccinated for rabies after a child found a dead bat and handed it to a worker last week.
Grand Erie Public Health (GEPH) is hosting a series of clinics where children can receive rabies post-exposure prophylaxis. The treatment includes one dose of rabies immune globulin, plus four doses of rabies vaccine given over a two-week period, according to a memo to parents and guardians that was viewed by CBC Hamilton.
The treatment is being offered "out of an abundance of caution, given the presence of other bats associated with" Creative Minds Daycare, Dr. Jason Malenfant, acting medical officer of health, said in an email. "While the daycare has assured us that children were always under supervision, and therefore the risk of any other direct contact with a bat remains low, young children may not be able to reliably report whether they had possible contact."
Last week, the daycare, which is in the city's southwest, closed Aug. 11 after a bat tested positive for rabies...