Rabies in Canada: A look at the disease risk amidst new U.S. dog regulation

Recent U.S. regulations on dog entry due to rabies concerns highlight the ongoing threat of the disease, which remains a serious issue in Canada despite a decline in cases.

While Health Minister Mark Holland pushes to exempt Canada from stricter United States dog regulations at the border due to our low rabies risk, experts warn the disease can still pose a serious domestic threat. If left untreated, rabies is 100 per cent fatal.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Holland described Canada as a “rabies-free country.” However, Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious diseases specialist, explained rabies cases still occur in Canada and the disease is extremely difficult to eradicate.

Since 2000, the number of reported rabies-positive animals in Canada has declined, largely due to control programs, according to Health Canada. However, infections still occur, primarily in bats, skunks, raccoons and foxes. Rabies is also fatal for humans.

But it remains very rare in Canada.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is implementing the new regulations, which means pet owners must then fill out paperwork before their planned visit. The papers, which will be available on the CDC website, will prove that the dog is healthy, has a valid microchip and is vaccinated against the rabies virus.

The federal government is arguing that Canada should be exempt from the rules entirely because there is no dog-maintained rabies virus in this country.

Rabies spreads in the body by travelling through the peripheral nerves from the site of the bite to the brain, where it causes severe inflammation and ultimately leads to neurological symptoms and death if untreated, Bogoch told Global News.

In Canada, since reporting began in 1924, there have been 26 cases of rabies in humans in six provinces and all cases were fatal, Health Canada data shows.