In Ontario, there hasn’t been a documented case of rabies in a raccoon for nearly 10 years. That all changed on Friday, December 04, 2015 after a fight between two Ontario dogs and an aggressive raccoon in the back of an animal control van. The raccoon has since tested postive for rabies.
Rabies is a viral disease that attacks the central nervous system of mammals, including humans. Once clinical signs appear, rabies is almost always fatal in animals and people. In Canada the animals that most often transmit rabies are bats, skunks and foxes.
Rabies is a reportable disease under the Health of Animals Act, and all suspect cases must be reported to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). All suspect rabies cases are verified in a CFIA rabies laboratory.
If anyone believes they had contact with the sick raccoon before it was picked up, they should contact 905-546-2489.
