Toronto Public Health (TPH) says it has found the person who brought an injured bat to an animal hospital this week, after the animal was found to have rabies.
The health agency said in a news release Sunday that it conducted a “thorough” interview and rabies risk assessment on the individual on Saturday.
“Based on the information provided, it was determined that the individual had no risk of potential rabies exposure, as they did not directly touch the bat, and were not exposed to the bat’s saliva,” TPH said in the release.
In a news release on Friday, the public health agency said the bat was dropped off at the VCA Kew Beach Animal Hospital, 1737 Queen St. E., on Tuesday at about 6 p.m.
Rabies is a viral infection, which affects the nervous system of mammals.
“The overall risk of being exposed to rabies in the city is very low, unless direct contact was made with an infected animal’s saliva,” TPH said in the release.
“If it is left untreated before symptoms appear, rabies will lead to death. The rabies virus is spread through the saliva of an infected animal, usually entering through a bite or more rarely a scratch.”
TPH said it encourages all residents to take the following steps to reduce rabies risk:
- If you come across a wild animal that appears to be sick or injured, please don’t touch it and report it to 311.
- Keep your pet’s rabies vaccinations up to date.
- Supervise your dog and only allow it off-leash in designated parks.
- Avoid contact with wild animals, even if they seem tame.
- Prevent pets from roaming unsupervised and keep them away from wild animals.