An Ontario health official says a child has died of rabies after being exposed to a bat in the northern part of the province.
The health unit for Brant County, which is located just north of the Haldimand-Norfolk area, says the suspected exposure happened in the Gowganda area of the Timiskaming region in northern Ontario.
A spokesman for the Brant County Health Unit confirmed Thursday that there has only been one human case of rabies in the county, but declined to share any further information.
Health Canada says all cases since 1967 have either come as a result of rabid bat exposure inside of Canada or exposure outside the country.
Public health officials say there has never been a documented case of human-to-human rabies spread.
Written by: L. Dickson with files from the Canadian Press