May is Rabies Awareness Month

All animal bites, scratches must be reported to Health Department

Whitby, Ontario – May is Rabies Awareness Month, and Durham Region Health Department is reminding educators, health care providers, veterinarians, police services and all residents to report any animal bites or scratches involving humans to the Health Department. Rabies is most commonly found in bats, foxes, skunks and raccoons; therefore, avoiding contact with these animals is essential. The rabies virus can be transmitted through the bite, scratch or saliva of an infected animal. While rabies is preventable, it is almost always fatal for humans and most animals once symptoms appear.

Educators, particularly those working in schools and child care centres, play a key role in teaching children about wildlife safety. Children should be reminded not to approach wild animals seen on school or child care centre property, and to immediately tell an adult if they encounter a sick or injured animal. If such an animal is found, direct contact with the animal should be avoided and the animal should be safely contained if possible. The Health Department must be contacted right away to determine any potential risk of exposure to the rabies virus.

Residents are also encouraged to follow all posted rules when visiting conservation areas, parks and other outdoor spaces, and avoid feeding wildlife to help reduce the risk of bites or scratches to help support overall community safety.

The following precautions are recommended to help avoid possible exposure to rabies from wild animals:

• Avoid contact with all wild animals, especially bats, foxes, skunks and raccoons.
• Keep children away from wild animals.
• Keep pets away from wild animals; pets should be kept indoors at night or should be supervised when outside.
• Avoid contact with dead or sick wildlife and do not attempt to care for these animals. Contact your local animal control agency and ask for assistance.
• If a potential exposure to humans occurs, contact the Health Department for assessment.

Dogs and cats, especially stray animals, can also transmit the rabies virus to humans if they become infected through exposure to a rabid animal. To protect both pets and people, animal owners are encouraged to take preventive steps to reduce the risk of rabies.

“A key component of rabies prevention and control is responsible pet ownership which includes maintaining up-to-date immunization against rabies for all dogs and cats and ferrets over three-months old. This is required under Ontario Regulation 567/90 of the Health Protection and Promotion Act,” said Brenda Kwan, Manager, Health Protection. “Pet owners can protect their families and pets by ensuring all dogs and cats receive annual vaccination against rabies.”

Responsible pet ownership includes:

• Keeping vaccinations up to date for all dogs, cats and ferrets.
• Keeping your pets under direct supervision and avoiding contact with wild animals.
• Calling your local animal control agency for instructions on having sick wildlife removed from your neighbourhood.
• Having your pets spayed or neutered to help reduce the number of unwanted pets that may not be properly cared for or regularly vaccinated.
• Reporting all animal-to-human bites and scratches to the Health Department.

Residents are encouraged to visit durham.ca/Rabies regularly for updated low-cost rabies vaccination clinic dates throughout the year.

To report bites or scratches to the Health Department call 905-668-2020 or 1-800-841-2729 or use the Rabies Animal Bite/Exposure Reporting Form. For more information about rabies, please visit durham.ca/Rabies or call myDurham 311 (within regional boundaries: 311, outside regional boundaries: 905-668-7711 or 1-800-372-1102).

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For more information please contact the Health Department.