10-Day Quarantine

Rabies is a deadly disease caused by a virus that, if not treated, is fatal. All animal bites are reportable to the public health unit so that a health inspector can do a follow-up investigation and assess the possible spread of rabies to the person who was bitten or scratched. Read how to Protect You and Your Pet.

If rabies is suspected, an inspector follows-up with a 10-day quarantine. The quarantine applies to all domestic dogs, cats and ferrets involved in biting a person where rabies is suspected. The quarantine is needed to ensure that the rabies virus was not present in the saliva of the animal when the person was bitten or scratched.

The quarantine requires the animal to be confined and isolated for a period of 10 days, away from all animals and persons and is usually carried out at the owner's premises, or at an animal shelter. An inspector observes and assesses the health of the animal at both the beginning and at the end of the quarantine period to check that the animal is not displaying symptoms of rabies.   

It can take a few weeks to several months for an animal to show signs of rabies after being exposed to the virus. During this time, the virus is moving slowly through the nervous system to the brain.  Once the rabies virus reaches the salivary glands, it can be released into the saliva and the animal becomes infectious with the virus.

At this time, the animal can spread the virus through a bite, or by saliva spray from hissing. By this stage, the disease has usually affected the brain and caused a change in the behaviour of the animal. Once signs of rabies appear, the animal will not survive for very long

The health unit does not seize or order animals euthanized or "put down" for testing unless rabies is indicated. Call the health unit if any animal under quarantine has:

• Been relocated
• Started to display abnormal behavior
• Escaped or is missing from the quarantine location or,
• Has died

All animal bites or scratches, including incidents involving bats, should be assessed by a family physician and reported to the health unit.

About 600 animal exposures are investigated by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit every year. The purpose of placing suspect animals under quarantine is to identify rabies in the animal and to prevent the occurrence of rabies in humans in Simcoe County. To date, there has not been a human case of rabies in Simcoe County.

The following is an animal bite and quarantine scenario:

My dog Rex bit someone and is now under quarantine. What should I look for?

Watch Rex to see if she displays a loss of appetite and a change in her behaviour - if she becomes aggressive or quiet. Changes of behaviour can include biting you or your family, or inanimate objects without reason. Rex might also display excessive salivation, changes to her bark, fear of water, and hind quarter paralysis with eventual death; all may be symptoms of a rabid animal. If Rex displays any of these symptoms while under quarantine, notify your local health unit immediately.

You can protect yourself and your pets against rabies by keeping them away from wild animals and ensuring their rabies vaccinations are up to date. It is mandatory for all pets older than three months to be currently vaccinated against rabies.