Nunavut confirms second case of rabies in Baffin region

Health officials say a rabid dog in Pond Inlet was destroyed last week. The GN is now warning people to be on the lookout for foxes and wolves wandering through the community. (FILE PHOTO)

The Government of Nunavut’s health department is warning residents of Pond Inlet that a dog in that Baffin community has recently tested positive for rabies.

Because dogs can transmit rabies to humans, the health department is asking residents who may have been bitten or even scratched by a dog in recent weeks to report the incident and visit their health centre right away, the GN said in a May 8 release.

Pond Inlet is the second Nunavut community to report a case of rabies this spring; just last week, a bylaw officer in Pangnirtung had to destroy a fox that attacked a number of dogs in that community.

The same day, Pangnirtung bylaw officers had to kill five local dogs who had been bitten by the animal.

The health department says it’s not aware of other cases of rabies reported in the territory.

Rabies, a potentially fatal viral disease that spreads from the bite of a rabid animal to another animal or human, affects the central nervous system.

It’s a disease found mostly in foxes and wolves in Nunavut and most often transmitted by bites from infected animals.

Animals with rabies can appear nervous, agitated or aggressive and may be foaming at the mouth.

Residents should stay away from animals showing those symptoms, heath officials warn.

If residents of Pond Inlet happen to see a fox or wolf wandering through the community, or if they are aware of a dog making contact with those animals, they can call the conservation officer at 867-899-8819 or the bylaw officer at 867-899-8934.

Residents of any Baffin community can contact the regional environmental health officer to report incidents at 867-473-2676.

Dog owners can also help prevent their pets from getting infected by visiting their local hamlet officer to have their dog vaccinated.