Public Health

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.

GEPH investigated and reported two people had come into direct contact with the bat. It recommended they get treatment and gave Creative Minds the go-ahead to reopen Monday once a wildlife management company had taken steps to prevent bats from entering the building.

The daycare said one live bat was captured and released inside the daycare a day after the dead bat was found. Owner Vicky McNabb said no one came into direct contact with it. Creative Minds also said workers found bats outside in June but there was no contact then either.