Rabies continues to be tracked by Canadian public health and food-safety agencies after confirmed animal cases rose this year, including in Quebec raccoons and a rabid skunk in Vancouver’s West End.
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Public health officials in British Columbia and Quebec are warning people about rabies after renewed attention to confirmed cases in wild animals that have had contact with people or pets.
In Vancouver, Vancouver Coastal Health issued a news bulletin about a skunk with rabies that had bitten a “small” number of people. The health authority said those people were treated and urged anyone who may have been bitten or scratched by a skunk in the city’s West End neighbourhood between Sept. 22 and Oct. 17 to contact it.
Across the country, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), which is responsible for national rabies surveillance, said the number of animal cases can fluctuate from year to year. In preliminary data shared Friday, the CFIA said “increased rabies activity in raccoons, particularly in Quebec, is a major factor contributing to the higher number of confirmed rabies cases reported this year.” Between January and September of this year, CFIA reported 397 laboratory-confirmed rabies cases in animals. The agency reported 281 cases in all of 2025.
In Quebec, the government reported an outbreak of rabies in raccoons and continues surveillance, with its latest online count showing 313 confirmed rabcoons with rabies in the province since the beginning of the year. Quebec also reported three cats infected through raccoons.
Officials described rabies as a viral infection that affects the nervous system, including the brain. In Canada, rabies infections in humans are rare, but the infection is almost always fatal if it’s not treated before symptoms develop.
Rabies is transmitted to people when they are bitten or scratched by an infected animal, with saliva identified as the most common source of transmission. The virus can move from the nerves near the entry point into the spinal cord and brain, leading to death.
In Canada, bats are described as the main carrier, along with other wild animals such as skunks, raccoons and foxes. Officials urged anyone who has had suspected contact with a bat to speak with a health-care provider because tiny bites or scratches may go unnoticed. People were also told to seek medical attention right away if they come into contact with other animals that may have rabies.
Treatment depends on acting before symptoms begin. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, symptoms usually appear about three to eight weeks after exposure. There is no treatment for animals with rabies, and confirming rabies in animals requires examining the brain after death.
The recommended approach for humans is a series of vaccines plus an immunoglobulin injection. The first rabies vaccine is given immediately, followed by shots on days three, seven and 14. The immunoglobulin injection is also administered because it can start fighting the virus right away while the body builds an immune response from the vaccinations.
Side effects from the vaccine were described as usually mild and temporary, including fever, chills, sweats and feeling unwell.
For prevention, the Wildlife Rescue Association of BC said the most effective strategy for people is to avoid direct physical contact with wildlife—especially animals that appear sick, injured, unusually aggressive, lethargic or disoriented. The association also urged pet owners to keep rabies vaccinations up to date and to “keep them leashed and supervised outdoors to help prevent contact with wildlife.”
Since 1924, there have been 28 deaths from rabies in humans reported.
In the case of suspected exposure, people are advised to thoroughly wash any area that was bitten or scratched with soap and water and seek medical attention immediately.
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