Rabies in a domestic cat in Niagara: An environmental health perspective

On Friday June 16, 2023 at 4:00 pm, Niagara Region Public Health & Emergency Services (NRPH&ES) received notification of a rabies positive result for a cat that they had submitted for rabies testing earlier that week. The investigation revealed that it was a domestic cat from an urban area in St. Catharines that had been around numerous people and other animals during its infectious period. As part of the follow-up, NRPH&ES contacted all potential exposures, coordinated vaccination for those that required it and collaborated with other agencies to ensure the safety of all those involved. In addition, NRPH&ES navigated working with vaccine hesitant clients who were uncooperative in providing details pertaining to people who may have been in contact with the rabid cat, other animals living in the household, and ultimately reluctant to receive rabies post exposure prophylaxis (rPEP). Through innovation, unconventional methods and deviation from standard practice, NRPH&ES was able to build a trusting relationship with all clients, gather the information they required to conduct a fulsome investigation, and vaccinate and confine the other animal exposed to the rabid cat.