Public health officials in Niagara Region are urging people to keep away from wild animals, especially those that appear to be in distress, after a skunk in St. Catharines tested positive for rabies.
Niagara Region Public Health (NRPH) is urging residents to protect themselves from rabies by ensuring their pet dogs and cats have up-to-date rabies vaccines, not allowing them to roam off-leash and unsupervised, avoiding all contact with wild animals, and reporting any wildlife that exhibit abnormal behaviour, especially raccoons, to local animal control services.
All incidents where a wild animal bites or scratches a human being should also be reported to NRPH at 905-688-8248, ext. 7590 or toll free 1-888-505-6074 as an animal infected with rabies may not display symptoms. The health unit is available to take calls about animal bites any time.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry along with local SPCAs and Humane Societies are continuing to conduct increased surveillance activities for animals with rabies, NRPH said in a June 20 news release.
So far this year, five skunks in Niagara have contracted the deadly virus, which can be spread to people through the saliva of infected animals. Last year, 14 animals – 12 skunks and two raccoons – got rabies in that region.
Rabies, which can be fatal to humans, typically presents with flu-like symptoms. From there, those infected may experience fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, agitation, anxiety, confusion, hyperactivity, difficulty swallowing, excessive salivation, hallucinations, insomnia, and even partial paralysis. Anyone who suspects they may have been bitten by a wild animals is urged to seek immediate medical assistance.
