Rabies

Rabies is caused by a virus. Any warm-blooded animal can get rabies, including humans.It is transmitted or spread through a bite or other saliva contact from an infected animal. Rabies is a preventable viral disease that infects the central nervous system and without prevention treatments, it is usually fatal. 

Rabies is found more commonly in these animals than others:

• bats
• raccoons
• foxes
• skunks

Symptoms usually appear three to eight weeks after the bite, but they can appear as soon as nine days afterwards or as long as seven years after a bite.  Rabies is usually fatal unless treatment starts before symptoms appear.

Signs and symptoms of rabies in humans

An animal will show signs of rabies from three to 12 weeks after infection. 

Signs and symptoms of rabies in animals

Signs of rabies in animals include:

• Friendly or tame animals that are usually wild
• Hiding in isolated areas and depression
• Loss of fear of humans, especially skunks (for ex., they do not run away when approached by humans or domestic animals)
• Paralysis - abnormal facial expressions, drooping heads, sagging jaws or paralyzed hind legs
• Extreme excitement and aggression
• Gnawing and biting their own legs
• Attacking objects or other animals
• Frothing at the mouth

Steps to take if an animal bites or scratches you:

• Wash the bite or scratch with soap and water immediately. This reduces the chances of an infection. 
• Call your doctor immediately.  A doctor should look at all animal bites.
• Call the City of Hamilton right away at 905-546-2489. We answer the phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  We can help determine your risk of exposure to rabies. We will talk to you about how to get vaccinated for rabies.
• Call Animal Services at 905-574-3433 if you want to press charges against the pet owner or have the animal investigated.

1. Try not to touch your pet because there may be saliva from the animal on your pet’s fur.
2. Call your veterinarian to discuss the bite or scratch.
3. Report the bite to the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, also known as OMAFRA, at 1-877-424-1300.
4. Call Animal Services at 905-574-3433 if you want to press charges against the pet owner or have the animal investigated.

There is no treatment for rabies once symptoms appear, the disease is almost always fatal. The treatment for rabies after an exposure is called rabies post-exposure prophylaxis, also known as PEP.  If it is given soon after the bite or scratch, and before any rabies symptoms appear it can prevent rabies from developing

• Doctors usually give PEP shots in four visits over a two-week period.
• You should get PEP as soon as possible after exposure to rabies.
• PEP is safe and effective.
• PEP shots are free for Ontario residents.
• If you had PEP shots before, talk to your doctor to find out how many more shots you will need. 

How to protect your family and pets from rabies:

• Make sure your dogs and cats have up-to-date rabies vaccinations. You are required by law to vaccinate all of your cats and dogs over the age of three months.   
• Do not let your pets roam free outside.  Keep your pets on a leash.
• Keep your pets indoors at nighttime to avoid contact with wild animals.
• Avoid feeding your pets outdoors; empty food bowls attract wild or stray animals.
• Keep your garbage securely covered. Garbage attracts wild and stray animals.
• Do not keep wild animals as pets.   
• Do not feed or touch wild or stray animals.
• Teach children not to touch animals, including dogs and cats, even if they appear friendly. 
• Avoid animals behaving strangely.
• Report stray animals to Animal Services at 905-574-3433.
• Report all animal bites, scratches and possible rabies exposures to Public Health Services at 905-546-2489.
• Talk to your doctor about a pre-exposure vaccine for rabies if you are:  
  • Working in a job that may expose you to rabies such as a lab worker, veterinarian, animal control or wildlife worker.
  • Spending more than one month in a country where rabies is common

Nearly all human cases of rabies in Canada over the past several years have been a result of bites from rabid bats. Bat bites may be hard to see.

Number of bats found positive with rabies in Hamilton

These positive results only include bats that have bitten or scratched a person. These do not reflect the number of actual rabid bats in Hamilton.

Note: In addition to the two bats that have tested positive for rabies in 2016, a skunk was confirmed to have bat strain of rabies and was found in Lower East Hamilton on September 4, 2016 which is not included in the above table.

What to do if you come into contact with a bat

Here are the steps to take if you are exposed to a bat:

• If you have been bitten, scratched or exposed to bat saliva call your doctor immediately. 
• If you find a bat in a room with a child or adult who cannot give a reliable history of contact with a bat, call your doctor immediately.
• Call the City of Hamilton at 905-546-2489. We answer the phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We will talk to you about the rabies vaccine and tell you how to get the bat tested for rabies. 
• We do not want residents to try and capture the bat themselves. Bats will not fly out an open door and it is more likely that another bat may fly in (especially in the month of August).
• If there is a bat in your house, try to keep the bat in one room. Make sure people and pets do not touch the bat. Do not try to capture the bat. Call at 905-546-2489 to request removal or a wildlife removal service.

What to do if your pet comes into contact with a bat

Here are the steps to take if your pet is exposed to a bat:

• Call your veterinarian to discuss the care of your pet.
• Keep rabies vaccinations up-to-date for your cats and dogs.