YELLOWKNIFE – February 3, 2022 - The Chief Environmental Health Officer is advising that 2 dogs from Tuktoyaktuk showing signs of rabies were seen yesterday.

Animals with rabies can have different symptoms, including being fearful, aggressive, excessive drooling, difficulty swallowing, staggering, walking backwards, abnormal vocalizations/moaning, paralysis and seizures. Aggressive behavior is possible, but rabid animals may also often be very shy or calm, and acting or moving strangely.

If you have been bitten, licked, scratched or in contact with one of these dogs, a fox, or yours or someone else’s dog after it was attacked, you should contact the Rosie Ovayuak Health Centre and report the incident immediately. Rabies in humans can be fatal without treatment.

If you see a puppy/dog showing signs of rabies or if your dog has been attacked by a fox, please contact your ENR wildlife officer to report the contact immediately.

Getting your dogs vaccinated for rabies is an important way to reduce the risk for you and your community. Vaccines can be provided by Lay Vaccinators in your community – please contact your DHSS Environmental Health Officer (environmental_health@gov.nt.ca) or the Territorial Veterinarian (WildlifeVeterinarian@gov.nt.ca) to find out if a Lay Vaccinator is operating in your community.

If you are a hunter, dog musher or otherwise regularly handle wildlife and animals, please ensure that your own rabies vaccination is up to date.

For general information about rabies please see https://www.hss.gov.nt.ca/en/services/sant%C3%A9-environnementale/rabies-prevention

For more information contact:

Jeremy Bird
Manager Communications
Health and Social Service
Jeremy_Bird@gov.nt.ca