In Iglulik, Nunavut a fox tested positive for rabies

Key Takeaways:

• The health department of Nunavut is warning Iglulik residents to be on the lookout for foxes after one tested positive for rabies.

An advisory issued Tuesday afternoon asks Iglulik residents who have been bitten and scratched by a fox or a dog to reach to the health center and report the incident as soon as possible.

The health department issued a similar notice for Iqaluit earlier this month after a second fox tested positive for rabies. According to the department, the fox had contact with at least two sled dogs in the area. On November 16, the department issued an initial notice for Iqaluit after another fox tested positive for rabies.

For weeks, health officials in Nunavut’s capital have warned residents about increased fox sightings, even issuing a notice before Halloween to remind trick-or-treaters to be on the lookout for the animals.

On November 1, a notice about an increase in fox sightings was also issued to Pangnirtung residents.

In late September, another fox was suspected of being infected with rabies near the Meliadine Gold Mine, prompting a warning to mine workers and residents of Rankin Inlet.

According to the health department, rabies is common in foxes and wolves.

According to the health department, rabies is expected in the territory’s foxes and wolves, and it can spread to dogs when a rabies fox or wolf bites them and then to humans when an infected animal scratches, bites, and licks them.

It also warns that if people have cuts on their skin, they can get rabies from handling or skinning infected animals.

Suppose an animal behaves strangely, such as staggering, frothing at the mouth, choking, or making strange noises. In that case, the department advises avoiding it and reporting it to a conservation officer.

Source: CBC News

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