Last year, the Middlesex-London Health unit was involved in nearly 1000 rabies investigations. Of those investigations, 138 people were found to have been exposed to the rabies virus and around 80 people were vaccinated.
Betsy Kerr is Rabies Coordinator at the Middlesex-London Health Unit. She explains how a human might contract rabies.”How it is transmitted is through the saliva of an infected animal through a bite or a scratch. And it is a fatal virus in humans if not treated properly”.
If you think you have been scratched or bitten by a rabid animal you should wash the affected area, contact a doctor, and report the incident to the Middlesex-London Health unit. If the animal is stray or unknown you should also contact London Animal Control.
