Rabies-positive bat found in Dunnville

Multiple bats were photographed in flight in this generic, undated image. (Vladimir Konoplev/Pexels.com)

Multiple people are being treated after they were exposed to a rabies-positive bat in the Haldimand-Norfolk region.

Grand Erie Public Health confirmed people are receiving treatment at the Haldimand War Memorial Hospital after the exposure. The health unit did not say how many people are being treated or how they were exposed to the animal.

They confirmed the bat was captured in the Dunnville area and has been sent for further testing. The exposures happened between May 21 and May 26.

The latest concerns come after a dead bat found at a daycare in Brantford, Ont., which is also within the health unit’s jurisdiction, tested positive for rabies last year. Some parents who had children at the daycare sought medical treatment as a precaution because a child and a staff member had direct contact with the bat.

In 2024, a child in Brant County died after they contracted rabies following contact with a diseased bat in the Gowganda area of the Timiskaming region.