

Chris Fox, CP24.com





Crews from Ontario's ministry of natural resources have begun dropping rabies vaccines by hand in green areas in the western half of Toronto as they work to stymy the spread of the viral disease among wild animals, such as raccoons and skunks.

The ministry tells CP24 that workers began distributing the vaccine yesterday and will continue to do so through late October.

The vaccine is contained in a small packet the size of a Loonie that is army-green in colour and includes a “do not eat label” and a toll free number.

Wild animals that chew or swallow the vaccine will be immunized against rabies about two weeks after chewing or swallowing the vaccine.

The vaccine, however, is not intended for dogs and cats and residents are being warned to take their pet to the veterinarian if it consumes more than one of the vaccines.

The ministry says that if your pet eats just one vaccine, they are likely just to get an upset stomach and will be otherwise fine.

In 2016, there were 171 confirmed cases of rabies among raccoons in southwestern Ontario and 84 confirmed cases among skunks.

The disease is spread through saliva and is most commonly caused by a bite that breaks the skin.