Via CBC News: Infected bat 'ran into' hand of B.C. man who later died from rabies: health officer. Excerpt:
A 21-year-old Parksville, B.C., man who died from rabies after coming into contact with an infected bat on Vancouver Island this spring ran into the nocturnal mammal in an "unusual" daytime encounter, health officials said Tuesday.
Nick Major was spending time outdoors in mid-May when the bat "essentially ran into his hand," said provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.
Henry said Major may not have realized the gravity of the collision.
"As is often the case, when you come in contact with a bat, you may not actually see a scratch or bite," Henry said Tuesday. "Clearly, in this case, there was at least a small puncture wound that led to the infection."
Major developed symptoms of rabies six weeks later and died at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver on Saturday.
'You made such a tremendous impact'
Major was a popular martial arts instructor in Parksville, a community of 12,500 people located on the eastern shore of Vancouver Island, about 40 kilometres north of Nanaimo.
His family has asked for privacy.
The young man's death has caused an outpouring of grief in the community, and tributes have poured in to the Facebook page of the martial arts studio where he taught.
"I know every parent of boys in this community hopes for their son to turn out as amazing as Nick was," wrote one parent.
"We all will miss him and the sudden loss of such an incredible role model will be felt deeply by this entire community, young and old."
Parents posted pictures of their children, beaming as they stood beside Major.
"You made such a tremendous impact on the people of this community, on the kids who saw you as a hero and friend, on the parents who quickly knew they could trust you absolutely with helping to guide and shape the lives of their kids," wrote another parent.
"If victory in life is measured by the impact we make, then you have left this life victorious."
A fundraising page was set up to help Major's family while he was in intensive care. The organizer announced his death Saturday morning.
"Nick was an inspiration to everyone, and his memory will continue to inspire others as we remember him," she wrote.
"This was such a shocking and unbelievably devastating loss for Nick's family."
'Any contact with a bat at all is risky'
Friends said Major contracted the disease in the Tofino area, on the opposite side of Vancouver Island.
Henry said it is extremely rare for someone to die from rabies in B.C.
Major's death marked the second rabies-related fatality in the province since Health Canada began tracking reports of the disease in 1924. The first was in 2003.
