Hamilton confirms first case of bat rabies of 2024

Hamilton's public health authority is telling residents to take precautions after it says it confirmed the city's first rabid bat case since August 2023.

In an Aug. 9 news release, Hamilton Public Health Services confirmed the city's first 2024 case of bat rabies, saying a Hamilton resident is now being treated by health care providers after they were exposed to the infected bat.

A viral disease, rabies is a fatal virus that affects humans and other mammals, says Hamilton public health, and is most commonly spread by wild animals like raccoons, skunks, foxes and bats.

Rabies is transmitted through an infected animal's saliva, usually through a bite. Infected saliva can also enter the body through scratches, open wounds or mucous membranes of the mouth, nose and eyes.

Hamilton Public Health Services said the city currently has an outbreak of rabies, mainly in raccoons and skunks, with 330 animals testing positive since December 2015. Most of those cases were recorded in 2016, according to data from the city's website, when there were 200 positive tests.  

Bats have tested positive for rabies almost every year in Hamilton, according to city data. One fox and two stray cats also tested positive in the city between 2016 and 2017.

The City of Hamilton's website says that positive results only include bats that have bitten or scratched a person and do not reflect the number of actual rabid bats in the city. Nearly all human cases of rabies in Canada over the past several years have been the result of bites from rabid bats, according to the website.

Last month, a bat in Burlington, Ont., tested positive for rabies — the first confirmed case of rabies detected in a bat in the Halton Region this year.

Hamilton Public Health Services is advising residents to take precautions, including:

• Keep a safe distance from, and avoid contact with, wild animals including raccoons, skunks, bats, unknown dogs and cats. Rabies can make animals aggressive or it can make them appear sick, scared, or friendly.
• Call Hamilton Animal Services if anyone sees a dead, sick or strangely-acting raccoon, skunk, bat, or other wild animal.
• Do not feed, help, handle or relocate any wildlife or keep them as pets.
• If you are bitten by an animal or come into direct contact with an animal's saliva, wash the wound with soap and water and seek medical attention immediately, or call Hamilton Public Health Services.
• Vaccinate pets against rabies. Keep rabies vaccinations current for dogs and cats to protect them, and prevent any spread to people.
• Contact a vet if a pet is in contact with a wild animal, including bats.

The city also advises people to bat-proof their homes by checking places where bats may get in. Such places include chimneys, joints, building corners, pipes entering ceilings or walls in attics, between the porch and house, between shingles or where walls meet eaves. 

While the city advises residents to seal entry holes, it also says to not not seal openings in late summer or early fall as that could trap babies inside buildings.