Manitoba Health

Provincial Rabies Management Program - Rabies Surveillance Data

Rabies is a virus that causes infection of the brain. It is a zoonotic disease that primarily occurs in animals, but can also be transmitted from animals to humans. Rabies is transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal. The disease attacks the central nervous system and eventually affects the brain. Once symptoms appear, rabies is almost always fatal in both animals and humans. In Manitoba the animals most often infected with rabies are skunks, cows and foxes.

Rabies is a reportable disease under the Health of Animals Act, the Public Health Act and the Animal Diseases Act and all suspect cases in animals and humans must be reported. All suspect cases of rabies are verified in a Canadian Food Inspection Agency rabies laboratory.

Animal Cases of Rabies in Manitoba 2023

There have been no reported human cases of rabies on record in Manitoba.

The table below lists the number of confirmed animal cases of rabies in Manitoba per quarter. This table is updated quarterly at the end of the month.

Animal Cases of Rabies in Manitoba

Animal Samples Submitted for Testing per Health Region — October 1 - December 31, 2023

	Southern Health - Santé Sud	Prairie Mountain Health	Interlake Eastern Health	Northern Health Region	WRHA Winnipeg	WRHA Churchill	First Nations Inuit Health Branch (FNIHB)	Total
Number of Samples Submitted	5	4	6	1	7	1	1	25
Number of Positive Cases	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Positive Animal Cases of Rabies by Species per Health Region —October 1 - December 31, 2023

	Southern Health - Santé Sud	Prairie Mountain Health	Interlake Eastern Health	Northern Health Region	WRHA Winnipeg	WRHA Churchill	FNIHB	Total
Striped skunk
Bat
Other wildlife
Cat
Dog
Bovine
Equine
Other domestic
Total								0

Animals submitted for testing and number of positive animal cases (cumulative) January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023

	Southern Health - Santé Sud	Prairie Mountain Health	Interlake Eastern Health	Northern Health Region	WRHA Winnipeg	WRHA Churchill	FNIHB	Total
Number of Samples Submitted	35	31	21	1	14	1	6	109
Number of Positive Cases	2	3	1					6

Positive Animal Cases of Rabies by Species per Health Region (Cumulative) for January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023

	Southern Health - Santé Sud	Prairie Mountain Health	Interlake Eastern Health	Northern Health Region	WRHA Winnipeg	WRHA Churchill	FNIHB	Total
Striped skunk	2	2	1					5
Bat
Other wildlife
Cat
Dog
Bovine		1						1
Equine
Other domestic
Total	2	3	1					6

Cumulative (Year to Date) Numbers			Year End Totals
Year	Number of specimens collected January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023	Number of positives January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023	Number of specimens collected	Number of positives
2023	109	6	109	6
2022			103	15
2021			119	21
2020			109	12
2019			143	4
2018			153	14
2017			128	14
2016			152	16
2015			130	18
2014*			106	12

*2014 year begins April 1.

Positive Animal Cases by Species - April 1, 2014 to present

	Southern Health - Santé Sud	Prairie Mountain Health	Interlake Eastern Health	Northern Health Region	WRHA Winnipeg	WRHA Churchill	FNIHB	Total
Striped skunk	34	29	17		1			81
Bat			1		1			2
Other wildlife						8		8
Cat	5	3	2					10
Dog	2	4	4		1			11
Bovine	6	10						16
Equine	1							1
Other domestic	2	1	1					4
Total	50	47	25		3	8		133

How to Report

To report human exposure to an animal suspected of having rabies, contact Health Links-Info Sante at 204-788-8200 (in Winnipeg) or toll-free (outside of Winnipeg) at 1-888-315-9257.

To report a domestic animal exposure to or injury by an animal suspected of having rabies (where no human exposure has occurred) contact Manitoba Agriculture at: 204-470-1108.

Report any strange-acting wildlife, stray or dead animals (mammals only) found on your property to your local Natural Resources and Northern Development office or animal control office.

Communicable Disease Control (CDC)
Public Health
Manitoba Health
4th Floor - 300 Carlton St.
Winnipeg MB R3B 3M9 CANADA

Health Links – Info Santé
204-788-8200 or 1-888-315-9257

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