Australian boy, 8, dies from rabies-like virus after bat scratch

An Australian boy died from a deadly rabies-like disease after being scratched by a bat.
Lincoln Boucher, 8, was injured by the swooping animal on the Queensland Whitsunday islands resort — where his
parents worked — on Feb. 2.

Not giving it any thought, he continued his day as normal.

But some hours later, he developed a fever and started frothing at the mouth and writhing in agony.
His mom, Michelle Flynn, and dad, Colin Boucher, took him to hospital, where doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong.
Induced into a coma, he kept waking up because the virus was so powerful. Violent spasms saw him rip out his IV lines as the disease tore through his body.

More than two months later, with her brother still in intensive care, his sister Lauren finally told medics about the bat scratch.
But by then it was too late as the virus had already taken hold,.
Having been put successfully into a coma, doctors brought him back to consciousness one last time so his parents could speak to him before his death.

His mom and dad are now calling on people scratched by bats to tell doctors immediately what's happened - a move they believe could have saved their son's life.
"He was a pretty tough little boy," said Flynn. "He just wouldn't have known to tell us."
Boucher is the third person in Australia to fall victim to Australian bat lyssavirus — which turns victims violent as it makes its way toward the brain.