Rabies in wildlife

Overview

Rabies is a dangerous disease which can infect any mammal including humans, pets, livestock and wildlife. Once clinical signs of rabies show, it is almost always fatal. If rabies is left unchecked, it can spread at a rate of 50 kilometres per year. Since 1989, we have been working to control and eliminate terrestrial wildlife rabies (raccoon and fox strain rabies) in Ontario.

Today the risk of rabies in Ontario is much lower because we:

• control rabies in wildlife with annual operations
• vaccinate pets

Signs of rabies

There are two forms of rabies in animals:

• dumb form
• furious form

Some animals can show signs of both forms.

Many clinical signs of rabies are similar to canine distemper. Co-infection can also happen. This means an animal can be infected with distemper and rabies or other diseases at the same time.

How rabies spreads

Rabies is a virus that can spread from an infected mammal to any other mammal, including humans, pets, livestock and wildlife.

The virus is found in the saliva and nervous tissue of infected mammals. It can be spread by:

• bites that break the skin
• getting saliva from an infected animal in an open cut, sore, or other wound
• getting saliva from an infected animal in the mouth, nose, or eyes
• direct contact with infected brain or nervous system tissue. For example, through broken skin or mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, or mouth

Wildlife that carry rabies

In Ontario, the most common carriers of rabies are:

Other wildlife that have occasionally tested positive for rabies in Ontario are:

• beaver
• black bear
• elk (from a zoo)
• field mouse
• fisher
• groundhog
• hare
• mink
• muskrat
• otter
• rabbit
• weasel
• white-tailed deer
• wild boar (wild released)

Coyotes, wolves and opossums are susceptible to rabies but are rarely infected in Ontario.

Non-mammals, including fish, birds, reptiles and amphibians (such as frogs and toads) can not get rabies.

Read about rabies cases detected in Ontario.

Bats

Bats are common carriers of the rabies virus. Bat rabies persists at low levels across Ontario.

Approximately 5% of all bats that are submitted for testing test positive for rabies. In the overall bat population, this percentage would be much lower.

Currently, there is no efficient way to vaccinate bats against rabies.

To report any unusual bat deaths call:

• Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre at 1-866-673-4781.
• Natural Resources Information and Support Centre at 1-800-387-7011.

Learn more about preventing conflict with bats.

Help stop rabies

You can help to stop the spread of rabies by:

• checking your cargo, truck, boat and trailer for stowaway wildlife like raccoons, especially if you’re leaving the United States
• removing food sources around your home that might attract wildlife, including pet food
• contacting local animal control if you find a wild animal in your truck or cargo
• not releasing wildlife without approval from the ministry
• never trapping and relocating wildlife. It’s important to never move wild animals more than one kilometre

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Descriptive transcript: Can wild animals be moved or relocated

Report a rabid animal in the wild

If you suspect a wild animal may have rabies:

1. if humans have been exposed, report the incident to your local health unit, doctor or local emergency department
2. if a domestic animal has been exposed, call your veterinarian
   • if you are a veterinarian and need help assessing whether an animal has been exposed to rabies, check out the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) update that provides a risk assessment flowchart and how to access support online, and call their Agricultural Information Contact Centre at 1-877-424-1300
3. if neither a human nor a domestic animal has been exposed, and the animal is alive and it can be done safely, confine the animal and then call one of the following:
   • local police force or OPP detachment (in emergency situations)
   • your municipal animal control department (for non-emergencies in urban areas)
   • a private nuisance animal control agency in your area (for non-emergencies in urban and rural areas)
   • Rabies Information Line at 1-888-574-6656 (for non-emergencies and advice on who to call)
   • the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society (for sick/injured animals only)
   • an authorized wildlife rehabilitator (for sick/injured wildlife only)
   • you can also contact the Ontario Fur Managers Federation for non-emergencies in rural areas
4. if neither a human nor a domestic animal has been exposed, and the animal is dead call the Rabies Information Line at 1-888-574-6656.

Descriptive transcript: What do I do if I suspect an animal has rabies