Fox with rabies found in Pangnirtung
Fox has interacted with several local dogs, says Nunavut Department of Health
Nunavut health officials are warning people in Pangnirtung to go to the health centre immediately if they've been bitten scratched by a dog or other animal, after a fox has tested positive for rabies.
The fox "interacted with several dogs in the community," says a release issued by the Department of Health.
Rabies, a viral disease, can be transmitted to humans. The government of Nunavut says anyone who is infected must get treatment immediately. Once "clinical" signs appear, rabies is almost always fatal, says the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
People who have seen a fox or wolf around the community, or who have a dog that may have been in contact with one of these animals, are asked to call the conversation officer, bylaw officer or regional health officer.
In Nunavut in 2014, there were confirmed cases of rabies in seven arctic foxes and three dogs.