Bat found in Brantford, Ont. daycare tests positive for rabies

A daycare in Brantford, Ont. is temporarily closed after a child handled a dead bat infected with rabies. CTV’s Hannah Schmidt finds out what's next.

A daycare in Brantford has been temporarily closed after a dead bat found at the facility tested positive for rabies.

Creative Minds Daycare has confirmed a deceased bat was found in a room for preschool aged children on Aug. 11. In an email sent to parents on Aug. 14, officials confirmed the animal had been handled by a child and a staff member.

“We want to be transparent that one child and one staff member had direct contact with the deceased bat found on August 11 on the 3rd floor. The parents of the child were immediately notified and have been receiving support from our centre, their family doctor, and Grand Erie Public Health,” the email said.

The daycare said they began working with Grand Erie Public Health and took proactive steps.

The health unit has since confirmed that bat tested positive for rabies. The results came back on Aug. 13.

The dead bat was not the only animal found at the centre. The daycare confirmed a live bat was also found in a stairwell on Aug. 12. The daycare said that bat did not have contact with any children or staff members and was captured and released. The centre said the live bat was found on the second floor but came into a hallway from a classroom storage room.

“We made the decision to close the daycare immediately on August 13,” the email to parents said. “This closure will remain in effect until all necessary cleaning and mitigation measures have been completed to the highest standards.”

As of Friday at 3 p.m., there was no timeline available for when the daycare could reopen.

“We will not open until we are confident that the centre is completely safe for all children and staff,” the email to parents said.

The daycare serves around 145 families.

A team from a wildlife specialist company has been at the building every day this week to monitor the situation and try to find out where the bats are coming from.

Communication with parents

Several parents have reached out to CTV News Kitchener, expressing concern about how the news of the bats was communicated to caregivers.

CTV News has obtained a series of notices posted to an app used by the daycare to communicate with caregivers, Lillio.

One post, dated Aug. 11, stated, “We want to inform you that a deceased bat was found today at the Centre. As a precaution, we immediately contacted the local Health Unit and have submitted the bat for testing.”

It goes on to suggest there is no cause for concern and a wildlife expert will be brought in to provide guidance on next steps.

The next day, another notice was posted on the app. It stated the wildlife expert had conducted an inspection of the centre and determined several actions needed to be taken to prevent more bats from entering the premises. Those actions included closing off the flashing on the roof, sealing the chimney and installing one-way doors.

However, the daycare said those steps couldn’t be completed immediately.

“Due to bats being on the endangered species list, this work cannot be completed until after August 15, which is when baby bats have learned to fly. The wildlife control company will return next Tuesday to carry out these measures,” a notice on the app said.

According to the Ontario government’s website, several species of bats are considered to be endangered, including little brown myotis, eastern small-footed myotis, northern myotis and tri-coloured bats.

A parent, who asked to remain anonymous due to concerns for their child’s privacy, said they sought medical treatment as a precaution.

“We figured that was in the best interest, better safe than sorry, to get my son a rabies shot. There was a whole bunch of other children also,” they told CTV News.

The parent said this is not the first time bats have been spotted at the daycare. They shared a video with CTV News showing two bats in a container.

“[Other parents] also seemed shocked by some of the other information that was provided. So again, it just seems like a big disconnect somewhere, and I think that’s the frustration,” they said.

The daycare confirmed the bats featured in the video were found alive in a bin outside the facility in June.

“Our maintenance person came and took the tote and brought these two live bats outside of the facility’s ground and released them safely, as required by law, because they are protected as an endangered species,” Laura Bailey, a spokesperson for Creative Minds Daycare, said. “It wasn’t an incident in terms of anyone coming in contact with it. At the time, the centre didn’t see the need to concern parents.”Health unit response

Grand Erie Public Health is investigating the incident.

“All individuals who had direct contact with the bat have been identified and contacted by public health and have been advised to receive post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to prevent rabies infection,” the health unit said, in a news release.

While the GEPH investigation is underway, Creative Minds Daycare will remain closed until the facility has been fully inspected and it is confirmed that no additional bats are present. The health unit said that is being done out of an abundance of caution.

The health unit said there is no recommendation or requirement for children to remain at home or isolate.

“We do not have concerns at this time, or have been notified at this time of anyone who had a high-risk exposure, which would involve a bite or a scratch or potentially any contact with other mucous membranes,” Dr. Jason Malenfant, Grand Erie Public Health’s acting medical officer of health, said during an interview on Friday.

Earlier this year, two bats in the health unit’s jurisdiction tested positive for the rabies virus.

What is rabies?

Rabies is a potentially deadly virus that can be spread through the saliva of an infected animal. It can be contracted through a bite or scratch from an infected animal, through open wounds, or through contact with mucous membranes, such as the eyes, nose or mouth.

Although human cases of rabies are rare, they are almost always fatal once symptoms begin to appear. According to a provincial website, since reporting began in 1924, there have been 9 cases of rabies in humans in Ontario.

“While the risk of rabies in our region remains low, rabies is a serious illness that is fatal if untreated, but preventable with prompt medical attention,” Malenfant said. “This is why we take every potential exposure seriously, act promptly to identify and follow up with anyone who may be at risk and remind everyone to avoid handling or coming into contact with wild animals.”

Early symptoms of rabies include fever, tiredness, headaches, anxiety and irritability. As symptoms worsen, infected people may experience seizures, confusion, hyperactivity, hallucinations, a fear of water and a fear of fresh air or drafts.

Treatment involves multiple injections of rabies post-exposure vaccine before symptoms begin. Someone who is potentially exposed to rabies will receive a shot a the site of the wound (if applicable) which contains immunoglobulin and four or five shots of a rabies vaccine given over the course of 14 to 28 days.

Last year, a child in Brantford-Brant died after they encountered a rabid bat in the Timiskaming region. That was the first confirmed domestic case of human rabies since 1967.

Tips to reduce rabies risk:

• Avoid touching, approaching, or feeding wild or unknown animals, even if they appear healthy.
• Ensure pets and livestock are up to date on rabies vaccinations.
• If you find a bat in your home, call Hillside Kennels Animal Control at 519-469-3247 or 888-469-3247. Do not attempt to remove it yourself.
• Stay away from animals that appear sick, injured, or are acting unusually.

If you are bitten or scratched by an animal:

1. Wash the wound immediately with soap and water.
2. If under 18, tell an adult right away.
3. Seek medical attention immediately.
4. Report the incident to GEPH at 519-753-4937 ext. 470.