B.C. rabies exposures nearly double as health officials urge caution with animals

Potential rabies exposures in British Columbia jumped to 1,598 this year from 931 in 2025, according to the BC Centre for Disease Control — but the spike doesn't necessarily signal increased danger.

A potential exposure is counted when someone has contact with an animal that could carry rabies and receives treatment to prevent the disease from developing. The count can include people exposed to animals without disease, given preventive medication as a precaution. By contrast, a rabies case involves someone showing symptoms — and rabies is nearly always fatal once symptoms start.

Canada has seen only 28 rabies cases in 104 years; B.C. has had 2. The U.S. is also reporting higher exposures this year without a rise in cases.

"There is no reason to believe there is an increased risk of rabies infection" in B.C. or elsewhere in Canada, the BCCDC said in a statement. The centre is unclear whether the exposure increase reflects more human-animal contact or growing public awareness of treatment importance.

In B.C., bats are the only wild animals that carry rabies without dying from it. Any physical contact with a bat counts as an exposure — though one in 200 bats actually carry the virus. If a bat is captured and tests negative, the contact is no longer considered an exposure.

Other animals carry the virus regionally: skunks on the Prairies, raccoons and foxes in Eastern Canada. Some U.S. areas report opossums carrying rabies, according to Heather James, a small-animal veterinarian and board member of the Society of BC Veterinarians.

Rabies symptoms develop three to eight weeks after exposure. Once symptoms start, the disease is always fatal in humans and pets — but medical intervention can prevent it from developing. If bitten or scratched, wash the wound or contact area with soap and water for at least 15 minutes, then seek immediate assessment from a health-care provider for possible rabies immune globulin and vaccine. Early administration of both is almost always effective.

The province has no rabies vaccine mandates for people, though some employers require vaccination as occupational policy. Many B.C. veterinary hospitals, boarding facilities and groomers require pet vaccination to protect staff.