Rabies: Health professionals
Public Health Sudbury & Districts provides updates on the current status of rabies in our area.
Rabies and animal bites and exposures
Although it is rare to contract rabies in Canada, rabies remains a potential risk locally, as well as abroad, particularly when travelling to rabies-endemic regions.
Reporting cases of rabies in humans
Suspected or confirmed cases of human rabies must be reported immediately to Public Health Sudbury & Districts. Rabies in humans is a reportable disease in Ontario.
Reporting animal bites and exposures
Physicians and nurses in the extended class have a duty to report animal-to-human exposures to Public Health in order to determine a patient’s need for rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (rabies immunoglobulin and vaccine).
To report an animal-to-human exposure or a suspected or confirmed case of human rabies:
- During normal business hours (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), call Public Health Sudbury & Districts at 705.522.9200;
- Outside of regular business hours, call 705.688.4366 and request to have the on-call public health inspector contact you and;
- IMPORTANT: you must also fill out and fax the Animal Incident Reporting Form (fillable PDF, printable PDF, 128 kB) to 705.677.9607.
Additional rabies resources
- Guidance Document for the Management of Suspected Rabies Exposure, Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (PDF)
- Rabies vaccine: Canadian Immunization Guide, Government of Canada
This item was last modified on February 14, 2024