Rabies information for authorized wildlife rehabilitators

Overview

Authorized wildlife rehabilitators (wildlife custodians) in Ontario provide temporary care to wildlife that are injured, sick or immature to help them successfully return to the wild. This work brings them into contact with many wildlife species including rabies vector species (RVS).

In Ontario, only wildlife custodians are legally able to provide wildlife rehabilitation.

Rabies is a deadly disease that can infect any mammal including humans, pets, livestock and wildlife. Once clinical signs of rabies show, it is almost always fatal. However, treatment is nearly 100% effective when administered promptly, before symptoms appear.

Wildlife custodians are an important partner in rabies prevention, surveillance and control. They also provide a role in educating the public.

Rabies in Ontario wildlife

We work to prevent, control and eliminate terrestrial rabies, such as raccoon and fox strains (or variants) in Ontario.

Rabies and canine distemper

Many clinical signs of rabies are similar to other diseases and conditions, including canine distemper and avian influenza. Co-infection can also happen. This is when an animal is infected with more than one disease at a time. This means an animal can be infected with distemper and rabies or other diseases at the same time.

Consult a veterinarian or conduct appropriate laboratory testing when diagnosing wildlife, especially when dealing with illnesses or other conditions that share clinical signs with rabies or distemper.

Dealing with rabies or distemper

Wildlife custodians cannot provide rehabilitation to wildlife displaying signs of rabies or distemper. To protect people, pets, livestock and wildlife, wildlife custodians are required to humanely euthanize animals in their care that are displaying clinical signs of rabies or canine distemper. These diseases:

• have similar clinical signs
• can be difficult to tell apart without laboratory testing
• are typically fatal

Animals can also be infected with both distemper and rabies at the same time. Euthanasia is an unfortunate, but necessary step to prevent further suffering and prevent the spread of disease.

Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative

In 2015 and 2016, we worked with the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (CWHC) to study co-infection rates of distemper and rabies in raccoons and skunks. The study found that 69% of rabies positive raccoons and 21% of rabies-positive skunks were also positive for canine distemper.

Rabies in bats

In Ontario, bats are protected by law. However, wildlife custodians have special authorization to keep them in captivity for the purpose of rehabilitation and may humanely euthanize bats when appropriate.

There is no live test for rabies. A bat must be euthanized if a wildlife custodian in possession of a bat is:

• aware of a possible exposure to a person from that bat, and
• public health officials have advised that testing is required

Learn more about reporting.

Bat rabies in terrestrial wildlife

Terrestrial animals are occasionally infected with bat variant rabies. Either from scavenging on dead bats or being bitten by a bat. Each year in Ontario, up to 2 cases of terrestrial mammals infected with bat variant rabies are detected.

Learn more about rabies cases.

Vaccinating bats

There is currently no efficient way to vaccinate bats in the wild against rabies. Public education and vaccinating pets are the best strategies for protecting people and pets from bat rabies.

Learn more about rabies in bats.

Safe handling guidance

When caring for wildlife, particularly RVS, wildlife custodians and their wildlife assistants should consider the following precautions.

Staff, foster caregivers and volunteers working with RVS should:

• receive pre-exposure rabies vaccinations, as per the Canadian Immunization Guide
• know the risks and what to do if they are bitten, scratched or otherwise exposed
• minimize animal handling and use infection control and prevention measures as described in the Ontario Rabies Vector Species Course, in collaboration with your veterinarian (PDF)

Duty to report

Everyone has a legal duty to report any potential rabies cases or rabies exposures (bite and non-bite) to their local public health unit.

You must immediately notify the medical officer of health if you have information about:

• someone exposed to a bite
• someone who encountered a mammal with the potential to transmit rabies to a person

You must provide them with the details of the incident, including the name and contact information of the exposed person.

The person who has the care and custody of an animal must provide the medical officer of health with any information and assistance if the animal is:

• bit or suspected of having bitten a person
• suspected by the medical officer of health of having rabies

Use the Public Health Unit Locator to find out how to contact your local public health unit.

Reporting potential exposures

Human exposure

If a human has been exposed to a potentially rabid animal, the wildlife custodian must report, or advise the public to report, the incident to their local health unit, primary healthcare provider or emergency department as soon as possible.

Domestic animal exposure

If a domestic animal may have been exposed, the wildlife custodian should advise the public to call their veterinarian. Veterinarians can assess the exposure and access our guidance before taking appropriate action.

Report dead wildlife for rabies testing (no exposure)

Wildlife custodians must report dead wildlife (except bats) that showed signs of rabies and had no high-risk contact with a person or domestic animal to our Wildlife Health Information Line at either:

• Phone: 1-888-574-6656
• Email: rabies@ontario.ca

This applies even in cases where other conditions or diseases are suspected, for example:

• canine distemper
• parvovirus
• avian influenza

It’s important to submit them for testing because:

• clinical signs can appear similar
• co-infection can occur
• rabies can move to new areas

Reporting to Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative

Wildlife custodians must report dead wildlife that were sick or strange acting, including bats, to the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (CWHC) by either:

• their online reporting tool
• Phone: 1-866-673-4781

Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative may request that you submit the carcass, or a sample, for disease testing.

Vaccinating wildlife

Wildlife custodians work directly with their veterinarians to vaccinate animals in their care for rabies and other wildlife diseases.

Injectable vaccines are the most effective method for vaccinating animals against rabies. Ontario’s oral rabies vaccine baits are designed for vaccinating free-ranging wildlife on a large-scale. They are not the most effective method for vaccinating wildlife when in hand, such as in a wildlife rehabilitation setting.

Under our permit to distribute baits from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s Canadian Centre for Veterinary Biologics, we are not licensed to distribute the baits to third parties, including wildlife custodians, or to use the baits for purposes other than vaccinating free-ranging wildlife.

Educating the public

As a wildlife custodian you have a role in educating the public about rabies. We’ve highlighted key messages and resources to help.

The risks of wildlife translocation

Do not move wildlife. It is inhumane, ineffective and potentially harmful to the individual animal and the broader ecosystem. Known risks include:

• spreading diseases like rabies and distemper to new regions
• causing territorial conflicts, which can lead to injury or death
• separating mothers from babies

Relocated wildlife tend to be replaced by new animals quickly if the resources are still available.

In Ontario, the public may only relocate wildlife for protection of property a maximum of 1 km away from its point of origin.

How people can protect themselves from rabies

Learn how rabies spread.

To help stop rabies, the public should:

• not feed wildlife, including leaving pet food outdoors
• not handle wildlife or keep them as pets
• ensure their pet's vaccinations are up to date (it’s the law)
• report any suspected human or domestic animal exposures
• bat-proof their home
• seek advice from their municipal animal services or a wildlife removal company if a bat or other wildlife need to be removed from a home
• keep pets away from wildlife
• supervise children when they are around animals
• do not let pets roam free

Roles and responsibilities

Ontario uses a One Health approach to rabies prevention and control.

The following actions are key to a One Health approach in Ontario:

• Public health units lead all cases of potential human contact with suspected rabid animals.
• The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness handles cases of suspected rabid animal contact with domestic animals (pets and livestock).
• The Ministry of Natural Resources monitors and protects the health of wildlife populations, including conducting terrestrial (non-bat) rabies surveillance, research and control.
• The Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative is a key partner in wildlife health surveillance across Canada. They track reports of sick animals, conduct disease testing, provide expertise and work to help assess emerging problems at a local level.
• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is the lead for confirmatory testing and tracking of all rabies cases in Canada. Information on rabies cases in Canada can be found on their website at Rabies in Canada.

By promoting multi-disciplinary collaboration, a One Health approach can achieve the best health outcomes for people, animals and plants in a shared environment.