Arviat residents warned after fox tests positive for rabies

Arviat residents should be on the lookout for foxes after one recently tested positive for rabies, says Nunavut’s Department of Health.

A fox that attacked a dog there on April 3 and was suspected of being infected with rabies has tested positive for the disease, according to a news release issued Friday.

The dog has been in confinement since being attacked but will have to be put down.

“If you have been bitten or scratched by a fox or a dog, please go to your local health centre and report the incident immediately,” the release said.

“Treatment must be started quickly after exposure, as rabies infections are almost always fatal.”

The Health Department said domestic animals that spend time tied up outdoors should be monitored for signs of rabies. That can include behaving strangely or aggressively, staggering, frothing at the mouth, choking or making strange noises.

Foxes or wolves wandering around the community or exhibiting signs of rabies should be reported to the local conservation officer.

This is the Government of Nunavut’s first reported rabies case since May 2023.

In previous winters and springs, reports of dogs and foxes testing positive for rabies were frequent.

Jon Neely, acting director of wildlife operations at the Department of Environment, told Nunatsiaq News earlier this month that smaller fox populations have likely played a role in the dip in reported rabies cases over the past year.