A rare rabies death on Vancouver Island and an uptick in bat exposures in B.C’s. Interior this July are leading doctors to warn of increased rabies risk in the region. Here’s what you need to know.
In mid-July, a 21-year-old man from Parksville, B.C., Nick Major, succumbed to rabies roughly six weeks after a run-in with a bat while outdoors in Tofino. Provincial health officer Bonnie Henry told the CBC that the bat ran into Major’s hand, likely leaving a small puncture wound that went unnoticed.
Rabies deaths in B.C. are incredibly rare, says an Interior Health spokesperson, with the first reported case occurring in 2003. Prior to that, zero deaths were reported since Health Canada started keeping track in 1924. Still, there has been a considerable uptick in bat encounters in the province’s Interior this year.
According to Interior Health, there have been 430 bat exposures recorded in 2026 so far, compared to 348 in 2025 and just 126 in 2024. “A high proportion of these exposures were Interior region residents who were close to their homes,” says Interior Health. “[…] on average, eight per cent of B.C. bats sent for rabies testing come back positive since bats that come in contact with humans or domestic animals are more likely to carry the virus.”
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As pollinators and pest controllers, bats play an important role in B.C.’s ecosystem, but they present a unique threat as the only animal that carries the fatal rabies virus without showing symptoms. And since rabies symptoms can take weeks to manifest and are almost always 100 per cent fatal once they present, it’s important to avoid coming in contact with bats and to act fast if an encounter occurs.
Interior Health says the best way to prevent rabies exposure is to avoid contact with bats. This means never touching a live or dead bat and bat-proofing homes or cottages by repairing screens, sealing openings, and ensuring bats cannot enter living spaces.
If you do come in contact with a bat—that includes being bitten, scratched, or even touched by one through clothing—Interior Health says to wash the area with soap and water for at least 15 minutes and seek medical attention immediately. The virus is almost always preventable when the rabies vaccine is administered promptly.
If you find a bat in your home or cottage, open a window and close interior doors until it leaves on its own. But—for B.C. cottagers—if bats are living in a building or on your property, Interior Health recommends contacting the BC Community Bat Program for guidance on how to safely and legally remove the bats, since they are a protected species under the B.C. Wildlife Act.
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