Second animal tests positive for rabies in Perth County

A second animal in Perth County has tested positive for the Arctic fox strain of rabies according to the local health unit.

On Tuesday, the Perth District Health Unit confirmed that a skunk located in Ellice Ward had tested positive for the disease, less than four months after a calf tested positive for rabies in the same area.

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The unit's public health inspector, Jennifer Grinstead, said in a press release that the two rabies cases in Perth County are not related to the more than 70 cases of raccoon rabies in Hamilton.

The health unit is reminding pet owners that "rabies is almost always fatal," and that they can protect their animals by:

• Vaccinating them against rabies.
• Keeping them away from wildlife.
• Bringing them indoors at night.
• Limiting their movement to the backyard, rather than letting them roam the neighbourhood.

Anyone who is bitten or scratched by an animal is encouraged to "wash the area thoroughly with soapy water, seek medical advice immediately, and then contact the Perth District Health Unit."