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Rabies Control In Ontario. By: Jordan Sinclair and Colin Reid. What is Rabies. Rabies is a contagious disease It is fatal and viral It can be passed on through blood and saliva Its only found in some mammals
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Rabies Control In Ontario By: Jordan Sinclair and Colin Reid
What is Rabies • Rabies is a contagious disease • It is fatal and viral • It can be passed on through blood and saliva • Its only found in some mammals • Rabies flows through the blood into he brain where it enters the nervous system and then is circulated back through the body
Signs and Symptoms • Madness & Confusion • Convulsions (foaming at the mouth) • Normally docile animals become less timid • Violent sporadic behaviour
How is Rabies Spread? • Bites • Scratches • Bodily Fluids ( Blood & Saliva) • Rarely contracted through small amounts of contact
Rabies in Ontario • Raccoon Strain first introduced in July 1999 • Originated in Florida and spread north • Ontario was considered “Rabies Capital of North America” at one time due to 132 confirmed cases of rabies
Treatment for Rabies • Vaccines are available for rabies control • They can be distributed orally or through injections • In Ohio bait containing vaccine is dropped for wildlife to consume • In NYC a “Trap-Vaccinate-Release” program was used in 2009 in Central Park
What is Depopulation • MNR has used this method since 1999 in effort to stop racoon rabies • It kills all vector species within 5 km Ex. Racoons, fox’s, skunks ect • Still in the last 5 years Ontario has had racoon rabies reporting's in the double digits • Ontario is the only place that uses this method in all of North America and have killed around 9,000 healthy animals since 1999 • MNR spends 400 to 500 dollars per square km • Spending millions of dollars over the years
Why not Depopulation • Killing thousands of healthy animals over the years and not allowing the strong to survive (Leaves young without parents & weakens a species) • It costs millions of dollars • Hasn’t made a difference in racoon rabies numbers • There are different more effective methods • Ohio uses a method that air drops bait in certain areas that rabid animals will eat • They have came close to eradicating racoon rabies in their area and have only been using their method for three years
Resources • http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/diseases/rabies.html • http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/Rabies/2ColumnSubPage/STEL02_164616.html • http://www.wildlifeontario.ca/content/issues/rabies.html • http://www.wildlifeontario.ca/content/news/pressrelease/Release-OMNRSlaughter.htm