Duty to report animal bites and animal contacts - 2026
To: Ottawa Physicians and Nurse Practitioners
Date: July 2, 2026
From: Dr. Emil Prikryl, Associate Medical Officer of Health
Subject: Duty to report animal bites and animal contacts
Dear Colleagues,
Ottawa Public Health is reaching out with an annual reminder to partners to report all potential rabies exposures as required by Regulation 557 (COMMUNICABLE DISEASES – GENERAL) under the Health Protection and Promotion Act:
2. (1) A physician, registered nurse in the extended class, veterinarian, police officer or any other person who has information concerning either or both of the following shall, as soon as possible, notify the medical officer of health and provide the medical officer of health with the information, including the name and contact information of the exposed person:
- Any bite from a mammal.
- Any contact with a mammal that is conducive to the potential transmission of rabies to persons.
As you know, rabies is a deadly infection transmitted when the rabies virus is introduced into a bite, wound, or open lesions in skin, or onto mucous membranes such as the mouth or eyes. All animal bites and exposures to humans must be reported and assessed so that post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) can be given in time to prevent fatal disease.
Post-exposure rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin are ordered from Ottawa Public Health and there is no need to write a prescription for the patient. You can find more information for physicians and healthcare providers on Ottawa Public Health’s Health Care Professional Information on Rabies webpage and in the Ministry of Health’s Management of Potential Rabies Exposures Guideline (2020).
Post-exposure rabies prophylaxis following bat contact
Rabies continues to be detected in bats in Ottawa and Ontario. Reported human interactions with bats often present physicians with challenges for risk assessment. In 2024, OPH received reports of nearly 200 individuals with a potential bat exposure, resulting in just over 100 individuals being offered rabies PEP. In 2025, OPH received 575 bat-related reports, resulting in just under 250 persons being offered rabies PEP. These data highlight the ongoing volume of bat-related reports and reinforce that not all reported bat interactions meet criteria for rabies PEP.
The Management of Potential Rabies Exposures Guideline (2020) states that post-exposure rabies prophylaxis following bat contact is recommended when both the following conditions apply:
- There has been direct contact with a bat; AND
- A bite or a scratch, or a saliva exposure into a wound or mucous membrane cannot be ruled out.
Direct contact with a bat is defined as the bat touching or landing on a person, or a person touching a live bat. When there is no direct contact with a bat, rabies PEP is not recommended. The Ministry of Health has clarified that finding a bat in the room, even if the person was asleep, is not an indication for PEP unless there is evidence of direct contact with the bat. However, assessment of the exposure may also be complex if a person has either sensory or cognitive impairment (either chronic or temporary) that affects their ability to assess or communicate if an exposure has occurred (e.g., intoxication, dementia). Please consult OPH as required.
Ottawa Public Health is available to receive animal exposure reports 24 hours a day, seven days a week:
- Online: Ottawa Public Health has a web form to receive reports of potential rabies exposures: Animal Exposure Reporting Form HCP - Ottawa Public Health
- Phone:
- Regular Business Hours (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.): 613-580-6744 (after selecting language press 2 to enter the Healthcare stream, 1 to report to Ottawa Public Health, then 1 again to report an animal bite) or:
- After hours/weekends/holidays: Please call 3-1-1 and request to speak to a Public Health Inspector
- Fax: A pdf version of our reporting form can be printed off and faxed to 613-580-9648. This form is available at the bottom of Ottawa Public Health’s Health Care Professional Information on Rabies webpage.
If you have non-urgent questions, please feel free to contact the Rabies team by emailing rabiesinfo@ottawa.ca.
Ottawa Public Health appreciates our close working relationship in regard to reporting and risk-assessing potential exposures to the rabies virus.
PATIENT RESOURCES
- Information on rabies, including treatment and prevention, Ottawa Public Health
PHYSICIAN RESOURCES
- Animal Bite Exposure Reporting Form, Ottawa Public Health
- Health Care Professional Information on Rabies, Ottawa Public Health
- Management of Potential Rabies Exposures Guideline, 2020, Ontario Ministry of Health