Positive Rabies in Canada

Rabies is a viral disease that attacks the central nervous system of warm-blooded animals, including humans. Once symptoms appear, rabies is always fatal in animals and people. In Canada the animals that most often transmit rabies are foxes, skunks, bats, and raccoons.

Previously published reports are available in archives maintained by Library and Archives Canada.

Note: The term "clinical cases" refers to cattle, sheep, goats, swine, and horses only. These are animals that are symptomatic, but that are not diagnostically confirmed. However, they are considered to be positive for rabies, due to their close association in both time and location to a laboratory-confirmed case (e.g. a group of sheep showing clinical signs of rabies that are flock members with a sheep diagnostically confirmed to be infected with rabies). These symptomatic sheep would be considered by the CFIA to be "clinical cases" without confirmatory diagnosis.

Positive Rabies in Canada
(Lab Submissions and Clinicals)

January 1 to December 31, 2012

Species N. W. T. / NU. Yukon B.C. Alb. Sask. Man. Ont. QC. N.B. N.S. P.E.I. N.L. Total % Total
Dogs 2 - - - 4 3 1 5 - - - 1 16 11.4
Cats - - - - - - 1 - 1 - - - 2 1.4
Bovine - - - - 1 1 - - - - - - 2 1.4
Equine - - - - 1 1 - - - - - - 2 1.4
Caprine - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Ovine - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Skunks - - - - 13 18 1 - - - - - 32 22.85
Bats - - 10 1 5 - 25 2 - 1 - - 44 31.4
Foxes 13 - - - - 2 - 10 - - - 16 41 29.3
Raccoons - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Wolves - - - - - - - 1 - - - - 1 .71
Coyotes - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Badger - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Antelope - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Woodchuck/
Ground Hogs		 - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Fisher - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Bison - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Lynx - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Total 15 - 10 1 24 25 28 18 1 1 - 17 140 100.00
  • No cases of rabies reported from Prince Edward Island and the Yukon Territory.
  • Diagnostic work was done by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's Ontario Laboratory - Fallowfield, Ottawa and Animal Disease Research Institute, Lethbridge, Alberta.
  • No clinical cases.
  • There was a fatal human case in Ontario, but the victim had contracted the disease outside of Canada.

Positive Rabies in Canada
(Lab Submissions and Clinicals)

January 1 to Decemer 31, 2011

Species N. W. T. / NU. Yukon B.C. Alb. Sask. Man. Ont. QC. N.B. N.S. P.E.I. N.L. Total % Total
Dogs - - - - 1 - - 1 - - - - 2 1.74
Cats - - - - 3 1 - - - - - - 4 3.48
Bovine - - - - - - 1 - - - - - 1 0.87
Equine - - - - 1 1 - - - - - - 2 1.74
Caprine - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Ovine - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Skunks - - - - 24 17 1 - - - - - 42 36.52
Bats - - 7 - 5 2 24 9 - - - - 47 40.87
Foxes 9 - - - - - - 7 - - - - 16 13.91
Raccoons - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Wolves 1 - - - - - - - - - - - 1 0.87
Coyotes - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Badger - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Antelope - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Woodchuck/
Ground Hogs		 - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Fisher - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Bison - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Lynx - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Total 10 - 7 - 34 21 26 17 - - - - 115 100.00
  • No cases of rabies reported from Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Alberta and the Yukon Territory.
  • Diagnostic work was done by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's Ontario Laboratory - Fallowfield, Ottawa and Animal Disease Research Institute, Lethbridge, Alberta.
  • No clinical cases.