Rabies co-ordinator to be hired within weeks

A provincial rabies co-ordinator is expected to be hired within weeks and a provincial rabies committee has now been struck to "address immediate concerns and develop a long-term action plan," says Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries Minister Rick Doucet.

The government is also implementing a heightened surveillance plan for rabies in Charlotte County, including the addition of a surveillance map, said Doucet.

Twelve cases of rabies have been confirmed in raccoons and skunks in Charlotte County in the past year — most of them in the past three months.

The competition for the co-ordinator position closed on April 24 and candidates are currently being screened, said department spokeswoman Elaine Bell.

"We received excellent response to the posting," she said in an email. "The next step will of course be interviews. It is anticipated that the position will be filled by the month of June."

The co-ordinator and provincial committee will work together to raise awareness about rabies and to fight the disease, with the public's help.

"Surveillance and assistance from the public will assist the province in assessing the optimal control measures to prevent further spreading of the disease," the government statement said. 

The committee includes representatives from the Department of Health, Department of Natural Resources, the New Brunswick SPCA and the New Brunswick Veterinary Medical Association.

Rabies is a viral disease that infects the nervous system and spreads to the brain.

Health Canada says humans are rarely infected.

But it is essential to seek treatment immediately, when a person has been bitten by a potentially rabid animal.

If left untreated until symptoms occur, it's too late and it's almost always fatal.