Rabies Scare Expands As Possible Exposure Date Widens
Posted January 24, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
What started as a serious alert has now expanded into a growing crisis for Toronto Public Health officials. We first told you Wednesday about an adorable eight week-old border collie puppy mix that died from rabies at the Toronto Humane Society on January 14th.
He was one of about a dozen canines sold at Dr. Flea’s, a popular weekend bargain market at Highway 27 and Albion Road. The city put out a plea to anyone who may have been there that day and had any contact with the animals to immediately call them and their doctors.
But now the number of those who may have been exposed has spread – and instead of looking for about 60 people, officials fear the total may be in the hundreds or even the thousands. They’ve also expanded the date of their search to include anyone who was at the flea market since January 5th – more than a week before the previous date of the 13th.
Rabies is a devastating disease that’s always fatal if not treated immediately. But no one is sure how many people actually passed by the booth called “Pets R Us” or had been to the vendor’s home location, “Feed Me More Pets”, in Chesley, Ontario near Walkerton. And once the dogs were taken home by their new owners, others who weren’t even at either location were added to the list of potential victims.
Public Health’s hotline has been flooded with nearly 200 calls about the emergency, as experts attempt to trace those who came near or had contact with the creatures. Two have died and two more have been located, but that leaves at least eight more unaccounted for – and potentially infected.
“Rabies is a very rare yet serious condition, which if left untreated, is most certainly fatal,” warns Dr. Rosanna Pellizzari.
The disease is most often spread by an infected animal biting someone. But it can also be contracted through contact with saliva, so a simple lick on the hand could be enough.
And even if your pup shows no signs of the ailment, that’s no guarantee the young dog isn’t affected. “If you came into contact with this dog at Dr. Flea’s and you think you might have been exposed to the rabies but you’re saying to yourself, ‘I feel okay. I’m not going to worry about it,’ you’d be making a big mistake,” warns Lee Oliver of the Toronto Humane Society. “Rabies can lie dormant in your system for more than a year.”
Toronto Public Health has now expanded their alert to include York and Peel Region residents. There is a vaccination for the disease but it must be given before symptoms start to appear. Rabies is an especially horrific way to die and there hasn’t been a case detected here in more than two decades. Doctors want to keep it that way.
As for the vendor in question, he’s no longer allowed to sell dogs at the market. But those who run Dr. Flea’s note they don’t bear the blame for the problem. “It’s an unfortunate situation that’s happened,” concurs spokesman Allen Koffman. “It could happen anywhere.”
If you think you may have been exposed to the dogs or the disease, call the following numbers right away.
Toronto Public Health: (416) 338-7600, between 8:30am-10pm
York Region Public Health: 1-800-361-5653, until 8pm
Peel Region Public Health: (905) 799-7700, 9am -10pm.
Rabies: how to protect yourself and your pets
File photo
