Rabies

Rabies is a disease caused by a virus that attacks the central nervous systems (brain and spinal cord) of warm-blooded animals.¹

Why is rabies a concern?

Humans and other animals can become infected during a bite or scratch from a rabid animal (rabies infected).¹ This can happen if the rabid animal’s saliva or the virus comes in contact with an open cut or the moist tissues of the mouth, nose or eyes.¹ Once symptoms appear, rabies is almost always fatal in animals and humans.²

How is rabies transmitted?

In Canada, rabies is transmitted by wildlife. Foxes, skunks, and bats are the main carriers of the disease.²

How to protect your family and pets from rabies

There are a number of steps you can take to protect your family and your pets from being exposed to rabies.

Actions you can take:

• Vaccinate your pets for rabies.
• Do not let pets roam free.
• Keep your pets indoors at night.
• Avoid feeding or handling wild animals.
• Teach children to stay away from wild or stray animals.
• Do not try to trap wild animals.
• Do not keep wild animals as pets.
• Do not touch dead or sick animals. Never use your bare hands, use gloves and/or a shovel.
• Call your local health unit or doctor, and go to the hospital if you or a family member have been in contact with a rabid animal.

Prevent Bats

Information about bats and how to get rid of them can be found on the Government of Canada's Bats web page.

Prevent Small Animals

View preventing and managing conflicts with small animals to learn ways you can protect yourself from small animals, such as, raccoons, skunks, squirrels, etc. 

View the Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians (OAVT) web page for a good overview of rabies and learn how to protect your pet.

Rabies Laws

There are many Acts, Regulations, and by-laws that relate to rabies control and rabies investigations.

In Ontario, these include:

• R.R.O. 1990, Regulation 557 Communicable Diseases – General
• R.R.O. 1990, Regulation 567 Rabies Immunization
• Dog Owners’ Liability Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. D.16
• Ontario Regulation 157/05 Pit Bull Controls

For the City of London, please view:

• City of London - Dog Licensing & Control By-law PH-4
• City of London - Pit Bull Dog Licensing By-law PH-12

Note: Municipalities, townships or villages in Middlesex County may also have by-laws with regards to animal care and control. Contact the correct office to ask about any by-laws that may be in place.

Rabies Statistics

To see the types of animals involved in rabies investigations in the past 2 years in Middlesex-London, please view the statistics below.

• 2023 Rabies Investigation - Animal Involved Report (PDF)
• 2022 Rabies Investigation - Animal Involved Report (PDF)

Visit the Ontario’s Rabies Cases web page for further details and maps of confirmed cases of rabies animals in Ontario.

Published reports on Rabies in Canada are available through the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. These reports list the number of confirmed rabies cases in Canda by year, month and province/territory.