Alberta students being treated for rabies exposure after bat encounter on school bus

A school bus ride in Drumheller took an unexpected turn when a bat turned out to be on board.

At least three students who were on the bus are being treated for rabies exposure after making contact with the bat last week, two parents told CBC News.

“A bat came out of a hiding spot on the bus and proceeded to fly around while the bus was in motion,” Golden Hills School Division’s transportation department said in an email sent to parents, which was forwarded to CBC News.

Golden Hills School Division did not respond to requests for comment ahead of publication.

“We want to let you know, out of an abundance of caution, that Alberta Health Services will be contacting the families of students who were riding the bus when the bat was present,” the transportation department said in its email to parents. “Students who were not on the bus during this time period will not be contacted.”

WATCH | Ontario child died of rabies after contact with bat in 2024:

Ontario child dies from rabies after contact with bat

A Brantford, Ont., child has died from rabies after contact with a bat in the first domestically acquired case of human rabies in the province since 1967. Health officials believe the child was exposed to the disease in the Temiskaming region, north of Sudbury.

Alberta Primary and Preventative Health Services spokesperson Tom McMillan said in a statement that health officials “immediately took action” when the situation was reported on May 13.

“The bus driver and any students who may have been exposed were all assessed, and a small number were treated for exposure,” McMillan said.

He said “there are no reports of serious illness or adverse reactions” in the affected students at this time.

Alberta Health Services did not confirm how many students are being treated for rabies exposure, whether direct contact was made with the bat, or whether the bat could be tested for rabies.

The transportation department told parents that “after a short time, the bat flew out of an open passenger window.”

Rabies not detected, but ongoing treatment required

Even if rabies isn’t initially detected, immediate medical attention is highly recommended after contact with a bat.

“A bat exposure must always be taken seriously,” said University of Calgary neuroscientist and rabies researcher Alan Jackson.

The typical response to a bat exposure is to receive rabies post-exposure prophylaxis, a treatment involving multiple doses of rabies vaccine over a two-week period.

More than 4,000 people have received rabies post-exposure prophylaxis in Alberta between 2016 and 2025, according to the Alberta government.

There have been two fatal human rabies cases in Alberta — in 1985 and 2007 — since reporting started in 1924. There have been 28 cases total in Canada, all of which were fatal and caused either by exposure to a bat or exposure outside Canada.

“Once symptoms of rabies occur in humans, the disease is virtually always fatal,” Jackson said. “In order to prevent rabies people with potential rabies exposures should seek help from a medical professional.”

The Alberta government says there have been 1,019 animal cases of rabies detected in the province from 1927 to 2025. Bats and skunks make up the vast majority of those cases.