Zombie-like virus suspected on Pelee Island, posing risk to dogs
A so-called "zombie" virus, notorious for infecting raccoons, may be spreading among wildlife on Pelee Island.
The Township of Pelee issued a public notice Tuesday, alerting residents and visitors to potential cases of Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) on the island.
CDV targets the nervous system of infected animals, causing disorientation, tremors and erratic behaviour.
It’s common in raccoons and skunks.
Infected animals often stumble, act bizarrely and may become aggressive—earning the virus its "zombie" nickname.
While CDV poses no threat to humans, unvaccinated dogs are at risk.
Samples from Pelee Island have been sent to Guelph, where wildlife pathologist, Brian Stevens, and his team at the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative are testing for both CDV and rabies.
“They've sent some animals to us for testing, and from the information I'm getting, there’s a strong suspicion that Canine Distemper Virus is involved,” Stevens said. However, confirmation is still pending.
Is it CDV? Rabies? Both? Stevens emphasized the importance of sorting that out.
“Although Canine Distemper Virus is not a large concern for human health, rabies virus is,” he said. “So we want to rule out rabies in these animals.”
Stevens told CTV News on Tuesday that CDV testing should take just a few days, but rabies testing could take weeks.
In the meantime, residents are urged to keep their dogs—and themselves—away from all wildlife, particularly animals displaying abnormal behaviour.
Most dogs are routinely vaccinated against CDV as part of their standard shots. Stevens urges pet owners to ensure their pets are up to date.
Even so, experts advise keeping a safe distance from wildlife.
"Even if your dog is vaccinated, raccoons with canine distemper can be aggressive," Stevens warned.
"You might not have to deal with the virus, but you could be dealing with a dog and a raccoon in a scrap."
You can read the full statement from the Township of Pelee here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.7034404.1726088503!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
'Buy nothing': PSAC wants federal workers to boycott downtown Ottawa businesses
A union representing federal employees is asking its members to bring their own lunch to work, in an apparent retaliation against downtown Ottawa businesses as new return-to-office protocols begin.
Actions speak louder: What experts are saying about the body language in the U.S. presidential debate
The highly anticipated debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump was a heated matchup. Here's what experts who analyzed the exchange had to say.
Jon Bon Jovi helps talk woman down from ledge on Nashville bridge
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jon Bon Jovi and a video production assistant persuaded a woman standing on the ledge of a pedestrian bridge in Nashville to come back over the railing to safety.
Inside a Manitoba ghost town, a group of ladies works to keep it alive
Abandoned homes line the streets of Lauder, a town that's now a ghost of what it once was. Yet inside, a small community is thriving.
B.C. family says razor blades found in bag of frozen blueberries
The B.C. parents of an 11-year-old girl said their daughter recently found a package containing razor blades in a bag of Kirkland-brand frozen blueberries.
Langenburg UFO sighting commemorated with silver coin
Perhaps Saskatchewan's most famous encounter with Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon (UAP/UFO) – "The Langenburg Event" is now being immortalized in the form of a collective coin.
Taylor Swift wins at MTV Video Music Awards and Chappell Roan gets medieval
Taylor Swift and Post Malone took home the first award at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, for best collaboration, handed to them by Flavor Flav and Olympian Jordan Chiles.
Man, 70, and woman, 71, found shot dead in Montreal apartment, police
Montreal police (SPVM) are investigating after a man, 70, and woman, 71, were killed by gunshot wounds in an apartment.
Tens of thousands in the dark after Hurricane Francine strikes Louisiana with 100 m.p.h. winds
Hurricane Francine struck Louisiana on Wednesday evening as a Category 2 storm that forecasters warned could bring deadly storm surge, widespread flooding and destructive winds on the northern U.S. Gulf Coast.