The Board of Health received its annual rabies report at its meeting on Wednesday.
Rabies is an acute viral disease that is nearly always fatal.
For 2023, there were 702 animal biting or scratching incidents where an investigation was begun by HPEPH, an increase from 613 cases in 2022.
Of the 702 cases, 72 per cent were canine bites followed by 20 per cent involving feline bites.
Remaining cases included bats, raccoons, rodents, squirrels, rabbits, groundhogs, chipmunks and horses.
The communities with the greatest number of investigations were Belleville and Trenton.
Fortunately, there were zero human cases of rabies.
