Toronto warns residents not to touch raccoons amid increase of reported bites
Toronto Public Health (TPH) has issued a raccoon warning for the city, and says bite and scratch reports from the public have more than doubled so far this year over the previous five-year average.
In a news release issued Thursday, TPH said that as of May 31, it has received 88 reports of people being bitten or scratched by raccoons. That's a 117 per cent increase for 2023 compared to previous years between 2018 to 2022.
Public health said in the news release that the city is advising people to avoid touching raccoons and other wild animals due to a "significant increase in the number of sick and injured raccoons" in the area, on top of the increased numbers of bites and scratches.
"Reported raccoon bites and scratches of people are often the result of avoidable interactions such as feeding or petting raccoons and any other physical contact," the news release reads.
In 2023, more than 80 per cent of people bitten or scratched by raccoons received rabies shots, according to public health.
"While the risk of rabies is low in Toronto, the disease is fatal if left untreated," the news release reads.
