YELLOWKNIFE – February 18, 2022 – The Chief Environmental Health Officer is advising that 2 dogs from Tuktoyaktuk have recently tested positive for rabies. Another dog has been sent for testing and is presumed positive at this time.

With rabies being found in dogs and foxes in and around Tuktoyaktuk, you are also at risk of being exposed to this fatal disease if you are bitten or scratched or in contact with foxes or dogs in the community.

If you have been bitten, licked, scratched or in contact with these dogs, a fox, or by any dog who is behaving oddly and/or after it was in contact with a fox, you should contact the Rosie Ovayuak Health Centre and report the incident immediately and be assessed for your exposure. Rabies in humans is fatal without urgent treatment.

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 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