A Bat From High Park Tested Positive For Rabies & Toronto Is 'Alerting' The Public
"TPH received the positive test results on Wednesday, October 20."
If you were at High Park on July 19 and had a close encounter with a bat, you might need to contact Toronto Public Health.
Toronto Public Health issued a press release on October 22 "alerting the public as a precaution," after a bat tested positive for rabies.
The bat was found in High Park on July 19 and TPH is asking anyone who "touched or handled a bat" to contact them at 416-338-7600 for a rabies exposure assessment.
According to TPH, rabies can be spread "through the saliva of an infected animal, usually entering through a bite or more rarely a scratch."
TPH says "transmission of rabies by bats to humans is rare and there is an overall low risk of rabies in bats in Ontario," and that "it is estimated that only two per cent to three per cent of Ontario's bat population are infected."
If infected, "transmission and serious illness to humans can be prevented after exposure by immunization with the rabies vaccine," although those infected must receive the vaccine before they develop symptoms.
TPH recommends residents avoid "physical contact with all bats," and that any residents who have come into contact with a bat see a health care provider.