A tragic case of rabies in a person in Ontario was reported earlier this month. Very few details about the case have been released publicly, other than the person was exposed to a bat in Ontario and became progressively ill, later being admitted to hospital with clinical signs of encephalitis and symptoms consistent with rabies.
The case is a tragedy particularly because we have the means in Ontario to prevent this fatal disease in people. The three most important components of rabies prevention are:
- Avoid contact with wildlife. Rabies is not transmitted through the air or the environment, it is transmitted through direct contact with saliva (or neural tissue) from an infected mammal. Enjoy wildlife from a distance. Rabies is just one of many reasons why contact with wildlife (or any unfamiliar animal) is a bad idea. This is especially important when it comes to bats, because they are a high risk species for rabies, but also an incredibly important part of many ecosystems, and many bat species in Ontario are also endangered – so please beware, but also be kind to bats!
- Sometimes despite our best efforts, contact with wildlife occurs anyway. When this happens, it’s important to have a risk assessment done to determine if post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is needed for people (or other post exposure management for domestic animals). Rabies PEP is almost 100% effective at preventing infection IF it is given in a timely manner. Not every animal encounter warrants PEP, but when it does, it’s important to start the shots right away. Human exposures should be assessed by public health, and domestic animal exposures should be assessed by a veterinarian.
- Vaccinate pets. In Ontario, vaccination of dogs, cats and ferrets over 3 months of age every 1-3 years is required by law. Although the rabies reservoir species in Ontario are all wildlife (bats, skunks, raccoons and foxes), pets are a major bridge between wildlife and people, because they often have close contact with both. Keeping pets vaccinated helps prevent wildlife from infected them, and in turn keeps pets from infecting people.
Despite the best efforts of public health staff, veterinarians, conservationists, educators and so many others, there are still so many people in Ontario who do not realize the risks associated with wildlife contact – particularly from a tiny bat that seems so harmless at first glance – and what to do when contact does occur. So this case is an important reminder to everyone that rabies is real, and it is still a risk even when we haven’t had a domestically acquired case in Ontario for decades. Tell your friends, tell you neighbours, tell your kids – make sure everyone knows, so we can help prevent the next tragic case.