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OAVT RRP Submission Request FAQs

What should be done with the animal remains after collection?

  • Remains that are left after collection are the responsibility of the facility/property owner. Options for disposal include:
  • Burial in accordance with local municipal guidelines
  • Cremation service arranged through a veterinary clinic or animal shelter
  • Large animal deadstock removal


Do the remains need to be held until rabies results are in?

  • The only time the remains must be held until results are in is when the method of disposal is deadstock removal. Licensed deadstock operators require a negative rabies result before they will pick up the animal.
  • If, for any reason, a health unit has requested that a veterinary clinic hold the remains until results are in, it is important that the health unit relay those results to the clinic to ensure they can follow through with the owner's wishes as soon as possible.


When will the sample ship if it was collected on a weekend or statutory holiday?

  • The CFIA laboratory and Purolator do not provide services on weekends or statutory holidays; therefore, we can only ship samples Monday through Thursday. Any sample collected on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday or holiday will be stored frozen by the RVT until it can be shipped the next business day.


If I have questions about a rabies specimen collection request who do I call?

  • Please calls us at 1-844-872-2437 for any questions or concerns Monday-Friday from 8:30am-4:30 pm (excluding holidays) or email us at rrp@oavt.org.



What Animal Species Can Get Rabies?

The rabies virus can infect any mammal. The most common animals we see in Ontario with rabies infections are in our wildlife; bats, raccoons and skunks. The most commonly tested domestic animals in Ontario are dogs, cats, cattle and horses.


For more information on the rabies virus and animals that can be affected by the virus please visit the Government of Canada webpage: Causes of Rabies.
 



Rabies in Ontario - MNRF Report

The MNRF is reporting on their results of wildlife testing (with no human/animal exposure), surveillance and bait drops. As of December 14th, 2022 the MNRF is reporting a total of 517 cases of raccoon strain and 21 cases of fox strain rabies in Ontario since the outbreak began in December 2015.


In 2022, the MNRF has tested a total of 4540 animals and distributed a total of 729,741 baits. Below are the positive rabies cases as of December 14th, 2022.

  • Niagara: 18 skunks, 5 raccoon

The total number of raccoon strain cases since the outbreak began in 2015 are distributed among the following Public Health Units:


  • Hamilton: 215 raccoons, 112 skunks, 1 fox, 2 cats
  • Haldimand-Norfolk: 30 raccoons, 2 skunks, 1 llama
  • Niagara: 47 raccoons, 46 skunks, 1 dog
  • Brant: 26 raccoons, 2 skunk
  • Halton: 17 raccoons, 9 skunks
  • Waterloo: 2 skunks


The total number of fox strain cases since the outbreak began in 2015 are distributed among the following Public Health Units:



  • Perth: 6 cows, 2 skunks
  • Huron: 1 cow, 3 skunks
  • Waterloo: 1 fox, 5 skunks
  • Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph: 3 skunks


The last case of fox strain rabies was detected in 2018. No cases have been detected in 2019-2021.

The MNRF has launched a new interactive map to help provide more information about where rabies cases have been detected and where wildlife testing has been done. The map lets you select the testing year/s, strain types, and can be zoomed in to specific municipalities.
 

CFIA Report on Rabies in Canada

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has a website with statistics on all rabies cases in Canada (including the MNRF cases reported above) dating back to 1988. They update their website on the 28th day of each month.


As of October 31st, 2022 there has been a total of 2243 animals submitted across the country, including 1271 which were submitted by Ontario. Of these cases, 118 were positive for rabies, including 51 that were from Ontario.


The rabies positive cases in Ontario are distributed among the following species:



  • Bat: 28
  • Dog: 1 (imported dog infected with a canine rabies virus variant)
  • Raccoon: 5
  • Skunk: 17


Visit the CFIA website for more information on rabies in Canada.
 
The OAVT Public Health Rabies Response Program
107-100 Stone Rd West
Guelph, ON
N1G 5L3
1-844-8RABIES
 
OAVT Rabies Response Program | 107-100 Stone Rd West, Guelph, N1G5L3 Canada
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