MNR: To protect the people of Ontario against rabies, the province is planning to begin its annual wildlife rabies control operations for 2015 on August 17, 2015.

This ministry is committed to the research, control and eradication of rabies in Ontario, thereby protecting the health and safety of the public, their pets and the wildlife of this province. Ontario’s programs are so successful that southern Ontario is free of fox and raccoon strain rabies.

If a person contracts rabies and does not receive treatment, the disease is fatal.
The province uses a number of control measures in the fight against the deadly rabies virus. The management activities for the 2015 season may include:

• aerial baiting in a small area surrounding Cornwall along the St. Lawrence River and ground ‘urban’ baiting (within Cornwall)– projected to start mid-August
• ground and aerial ‘urban’ and rural baiting in Niagara area – projected to start late August
• control measures at the point of infection – only to take place in the event of a raccoon or ‘Ontario fox strain’ rabies incident

Cases of ‘fox-strain’ rabies have dropped dramatically across Ontario to only two cases in 2012 and one in 2013 (in northern Ontario). This is down from 1,500 cases/year before control measures were implemented in 1989, roughly a 99% drop.

The last confirmed case of ‘raccoon strain’ rabies case in the province occurred in September 2005. According to the World Organization for Animal Health, with over two years since the last case of the raccoon strain, Ontario can now confirm that raccoon rabies has been eliminated from the province.

The rabies control program is a joint effort that receives important input from a variety of partners across Ontario. Regional health units, municipalities, wildlife rehabilitators, licensed trappers, wildlife control agents and aboriginal communities are all key to the continued success of Ontario’s world-renowned rabies control program.

Additional Resources:
1. Rabies Vaccine Bait Information Sheet
2. Map of the proposed rabies control operations for 2015

For further information, visit the Rabies in Ontario website at http://www.ontario.ca/environment-and-energy/rabies or contact our rabies hotline at 1-888-574-6656.