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, raccoons and foxes.

In Canada, 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).

Resources

• Fact sheet – Rabies
• Rabies cases in Canada

Notices and orders to prevent dog rabies in Canada

• Order amending the order declaring a secondary control zone (declares listed airports and identifies the disease of concern – dog rabies)
• Order amending the prohibition order in relation to secondary control zones in respect of rabies caused by canine-variant viruses
• Notice to industry: New measure prohibiting the entry of commercial dogs from countries at high-risk for dog rabies
• Order declaring a secondary control zone (declares listed airports and identifies the disease of concern – dog rabies)
• Designation order (designates the animal capable of being affected or contaminated by dog rabies)
• Prohibition order in relation to secondary control zones in respect of rabies caused by canine-variant viruses (prohibits the entry into Canada of designated animals coming from countries at high-risk for dog rabies)

Third party resources about rabies prevention

• World Rabies Day
• Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control, 2016 National Association of State Public Health Veterinarian, Inc. (NASPHV)
• World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH; founded as Office International des Épizooties (OIE)), Terrestrial Animals Health Code: Rabies
• WHO, expert consultation on rabies, third report, 2018