Stay informed during Rabies Awareness Month

May is Rabies Awareness Month, and I’d like to take a moment to remind everyone about the ways we can all help keep ourselves, our families and our community safe.

Rabies is a viral disease most commonly found in bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes. It can be spread through the bite, scratch or saliva of an infected animal. Although rabies is preventable, it’s important to know that once symptoms appear, the disease is almost always fatal in humans and other mammals. That’s why prevention and quick reporting are so important.

To reduce your risk of rabies exposure:

• Avoid contact with wild animals
• Never touch animals that appear to be sick, injured, or unusually friendly, and
• Always supervise children when they’re outdoors

If you or someone in your household is bitten or scratched by an animal, report it to Durham Region Health Department right away. Prompt follow-up and treatment can help prevent serious illness.

When visiting parks, trails, or conservation areas, please follow posted rules and never feed wildlife. Feeding animals increases the risk of bites and scratches and can bring wildlife too close to people.

Responsible pet ownership is also a key part of rabies prevention. Make sure all dogs, cats, and ferrets over three months old are kept up to date on their rabies vaccinations. Vaccinated pets help protect your family and the wider community.

Responsible pet ownership also includes:

• 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.

Rabies is preventable and together we can reduce the risk of exposure. This Rabies Awareness Month, take a moment to learn how to protect yourself and others, avoid wildlife contact, and report animal bites or scratches promptly.

Call the Health Department at 905-668-2020 or 1-800-841-2729 to report bites or scratches and visit durham.ca/Rabies for more information.