Little brown bat tests positive for rabies in Grey-Bruce

A brown bat can be seen in this image. (W5)

Grey Bruce Public Health advises the public to remain vigilant about the risk of rabies after a bat from Grey-Bruce tested positive for the viral disease.

The health unit submitted the little brown bat for testing earlier this week as part of its investigation into a potential human exposure.

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The person involved is receiving post-exposure treatment to prevent a rabies infection.

This animal rabies case is the first in Grey-Bruce this year.

“While the risk of acquiring rabies locally remains very low, this case confirms the presence of the rabies virus in Grey-Bruce and highlights the importance of avoiding contact with wildlife and taking other steps to prevent animal bites and scratches,” said Andrew Barton, a senior public health manager and manager of GBPH’s Environmental Health program.

Rabies is usually transmitted to humans through direct contact with saliva from an infected animal, such as through a bite or, less commonly, a scratch. Bats, skunks, foxes, and raccoons are the most common animals that have rabies in Ontario.

Once symptoms appear, the rabies virus is virtually 100% fatal in people and animals. However, rabies vaccines are highly effective at preventing the disease if administered before symptoms occur.

Human rabies cases are very rare in Ontario, with the province’s last domestic case of human rabies occurring in 1967.

In 2023, there were 56 confirmed wildlife rabies cases in Ontario, with the vast majority involving bats.

It’s been 15 years since a non-flying animal has tested positive for rabies in Grey-Bruce.

Grey Bruce Public Health conducted 592 potential rabies exposure investigations in 2023.

About two-thirds of the investigations involved a dog bite, 130 were linked to a cat bite/scratch, and 21 involved a human-wildlife interaction.

The health unit advises people to protect against rabies:

• Stay away from wild animals and always refrain from touching, petting, or handling wildlife or keeping wild animals as pets.
• Avoid feeding wild animals.
• Keep pets away from wild animals, and do not let pets roam unsupervised.
• Wildlife-proof homes and yards.
• Do not disturb baby animals.
• Warn children to stay away from wild or stray animals.
• Do not trap and transport wild animals to a new location.
• Have your pets vaccinated for rabies; it is the law in Ontario that all cats, dogs, and ferrets over three months of age are vaccinated for rabies.

Bat-proof your home or cottage by:

• Caulking holes in the exterior, even those as small as one-quarter to one-half inch in diameter.
• Tightening screens, capping your chimney, placing draft guards under doors leading to the attic and outside, and filling plumbing fixture holes with steel wool or caulk.
• Keeping doors tightly closed when going outside and coming back indoors.

The public health unit also advises people to take steps to prevent bites from unfamiliar dogs.

Call the Wildlife Health Information Line at 1-888-574-6656 for information about reporting a suspected rabid animal or visiting the Ontario government’s Rabies website.