The Department of Health is advising residents of Pond Inlet that two foxes and a domestic dog have tested positive for rabies in the hamlet. This is a colourized transmission electron micrograph of culture cells heavily infected with the rabies virus. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/NIAID)
2 foxes, 1 dog test positive for rabies in Pond Inlet
People should be on lookout for signs of rabies in animals: Health Department
Two foxes and a domestic dog in Pond Inlet have tested positive for rabies.
The development spurred the Health Department to put out a public health advisory Monday for the hamlet, warning residents to be on the lookout for foxes.
A person who has been bitten or scratched by a fox or a dog should go to the health centre and report the incident immediately, said department spokesperson Danarae Sommerville in the advisory.
Treatment must be started quickly after exposure as rabies infections are nearly always fatal if left untreated.
Domestic animals that spend time tied up outdoors should also be monitored for possible signs of rabies, which include strange behaviour, staggering, frothing at the mouth, choking or making unusual noises.
Wild animals infected with rabies may also appear friendly and approach humans without fear, Sommerville said.
Animals exhibiting these signs, or any foxes or wolves seen wandering around communities, should be avoided and reported to the regional environmental health officer at 867-975-4815 or the conservation officer at 867-899-8819.
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