Facebook warning about rabies near Saskatoon draws attention

Some pet owners north of Saskatoon got an alert about rabies, after three bats in the area tested positive for the threatening disease.

Dr. John Ayres said one bat was in the RM of Laird, the other two in the RM of Corman Park, and that the cases surfaced in the past two to three weeks.

Tuesday the Warman Veterinary Clinic posted a notice on its Facebook Page, urging people to make sure their pets' vaccinations are up to date.

Ayres is with the Norsask Veterinary Group, which operates the Warman clinic as well as one in Rosthern. The group also emailed the notice to its clients.

We don't get a do-over with rabies, so we like to try and prevent as much as we can.- Dr. John Ayres, veterinarian

"It's at low levels, but I guess the problem with it is that, one, the disease itself once the symptoms start is really untreatable," Ayres said. "The fatality rate on this approaches 100 per cent."

And, it can be transmitted from infected animals, wild or domestic, to humans.

"We don't get a do-over with rabies, so we like to try and prevent as much as we can," Ayres said.

Rabies is a viral disease that attacks the central nervous system of mammals, humans included. The vaccine, if given early enough after exposure, can keep people from getting the disease.

The Laird case involved human contact, Ayres said, although he didn't know how many people were involved and whether the contact was simple handling or a bite.

The bat in the Laird casewas brought to his clinic, and was submitted from there for testing. He got word about the other two bats from another veterinary practice in Saskatoon.

20 cases across Sask. last year

Ayres said it's common to put up posters and notices in his clinics throughout the year, but this time the notice was emailed and posted on Facebook.

"And I think Facebook is probably what's made this thing go further than anything we've ever done before, and that certainly wasn't our intent," Ayres continued. "It was trying to just put some information out to our clients saying please just check the vaccination status on your animals."

According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, there were 9 rabies cases in Saskatchewan in the first seven months of this year. (Two bats, five skunks and two dogs.)

In 2014, there were a total of 20 cases (nine bats, 10 skunks and one horse).