Arctic fox with rabies in Pyramiden

The fox in question showed abnormal behaviour and was therefore euthanized last Monday. The Governor of Svalbard, after dialogue with the Norwegian Food Safety Authority Troms and Finnmark and the Veterinary Institute, sent the carcass to the Veterinary Institute at Ås for rabies examination. There, it was determined that the fox was infected with rabies. The sick fox was a thin, adult male that was missing most of its front teeth and had large wounds in the oral mucosa.

The Governor has not yet received any reports of suspected rabies in any animals. It cannot be ruled out that there are more cases of rabies, and the Governor asks that people be aware and report it by calling 79 02 12 22 if they see foxes or reindeer that have unnatural behaviour or find dead animals. Typical signs to look out for are aggressiveness in foxes, and passivity and paralysis in reindeer. The Governor advises that wild animals should not be fed and encourages dog owners to keep their dogs on a leash.

Rabies is a fatal disease for humans and warm-blooded animals and occurs on Svalbard. The disease can be prevented through vaccination, but it cannot be treated after the infected person has developed clinical symptoms. The Norwegian Institute of Public Health recommends that anyone who will come into contact with wild animals is vaccinated.

The last time rabies was detected in Svalbard was in 2018, when the disease was detected in four Arctic foxes and one reindeer.