Toronto – Toronto Public Health (TPH) is reporting that a bat dropped off at the VCA Kew Beach Animal Hospital, 1737 Queen St. E., by an unidentified person on Tuesday, July 16 at approximately 6 p.m., has tested positive for rabies.
If you are the person who dropped off this bat or know the person who dropped it off, please call TPH after hours at 311 (416-392-2489 if outside of Toronto) and ask to speak to the Healthy Environments manager on call. They can assess the risk of being infected with rabies from this exposure. During regular business hours (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday), contact TPH at 416-338-7600.
Rabies is a viral infection that affects the nervous system of mammals, including humans. If it is left untreated before symptoms appear, rabies will lead to death. The rabies virus is spread through the saliva of an infected animal, usually entering through a bite or more rarely a scratch. The overall risk of being exposed to rabies in the city is very low, unless direct contact was made with an infected animal’s saliva. TPH continues to encourage all residents take the following preventive measures to reduce their risk of rabies exposure:
- Ensure that your pet’s rabies vaccinations are up to date.
- Always supervise your dog. Dogs should not run loose in public spaces in the city, except in off-leash parks.
- Stay away from all wild animals, even if they appear tame, injured or sick. Every animal is capable of unpredictable behaviour.
- Keep pets away from wild animals and do not let pets roam unsupervised.
- More information is available on the City’s Rabies Prevention and Control webpage.
For more information on wildlife in Toronto, visit Toronto Animal Services Wildlife in the City webpage.