Rabies
What is rabies?
Rabies is a serious disease that is spread from animals to humans, usually through the bite of an infectious animal. The rabies virus affects the central nervous system. Once an infected animal or human develops symptoms, the disease is almost always fatal. It is possible for animals to be infectious before they actually show any signs of rabies.
In Canada, animals that are most likely to carry the rabies virus include: bats, foxes, skunks and raccoons. In Ontario, rabies control programs have reduced the number of cases of rabies in wildlife by more than 99%. Although there were no known cases of rabies in terrestrial animals in 2017 in Ontario, it is still important to avoid contact with wild animals and bats, as well as with dogs and cats that you do not know.
What to do if you are bitten by an animal or bat |
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What to do if you find a bat in your home |
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How to protect your pets from rabies |
| All dogs and cats in Ontario must be immunized against rabies according to the Ontario Regulation 567 Rabies Immunization. This is an important step in protecting humans from the rabies virus, as humans live in very close contact with these pets. |
Animal bite investigations
In accordance with Ontario Regulation 557 and the Health Protection and Promotion Act, KFL&A Public Health is required to investigate all animal biting incidents to ensure there is no risk of rabies transmission to humans. A public health inspector will visually inspect the biting-animal before and after the ten day observation period for signs of illness.
Any person having knowledge of an animal biting incident is legally required to report the incident to KFL&A Public Health.
Health care providers
Please visit our rabies reporting and animal bites page to find rabies exposure and post exposure reporting forms.
Resources
- Rabies - Canadian Food Inspection Agency.