The Red Fox population in Labrador, Canada has entered the rabies cycle again after seeing little of the dreaded disease since 2005..........While Coyotes can contract rabies, there never seems to be a widespread outbreaks in their population..........However, Foxes have always been a vector of the disease and area Vets say that the Arctic Fox seems to serve as a permanent reservoir for rabies and that this species of Fox tends to.infect the "Reds" in Labrador..........Fox numbers ebb and flow with the outbreaks which seems to be one of natures ways of controlling this canids numbers

Foxes fuel Labrador rabies fears

By ALY THOMSON The Canadian Press; thechronicle.ca

A red fox sits in the grass. A outbreak of rabies in Newfoundland and Labrador worries the province's chief veterinarian.           

Newfoundland and Labrador's chief veterinary officer says a "significant" and widespread outbreak of rabies in Labrador is cause for concern.The province's Natural Resources Department has confirmed 16 cases of rabies in red foxes since January, 12 in Labrador City and Wabush.
Prior to this year, the last confirmed case was in 2005.

But chief veterinary officer Dr. Hugh Whitney said it's not only the number of cases that is worrisome, but also how widespread the disease is across Labrador."This one is quite a significant (outbreak)," said Whitney from his office in St. John's. "There are few places left on our map that it hasn't touched.""We have 15 cases, which is not a large number, but 15 cases over a very large geographic area suggests that it could really be 100 cases, could be 500 cases in reality."
Whitney said that 10 people have been vaccinated for exposure to rabies this year for incidents ranging from bites to handling the carcasses.

"Rabies is a significant concern because...we have the added problem that it affects all mammals. It can get into dog populations. Dogs can affect people or foxes can attack people," said Whitney, adding that the disease is preventable in humans, but needs to be identified.Whitney, the province's chief veterinary officer for more than 26 years, said the disease's seven-year absence is not unusual, as outbreaks run in cycles. But officials have little foresight, as a number of factors make it difficult to predict when the next outbreak will happen.

The Arctic serves as a permanent reservoir for Canadian fox rabies, said Whitney. He said Arctic foxes bring the disease down into northern Quebec and Labrador and infect the region's red foxes. If the red fox population is high and food is scarce, the diseased animals will start moving away from the woods and into communities, he said.

"So, for the years between 2005 and 2012... there could have very well have been an outbreak of rabies, but there wasn't enough foxes around for the foxes to actually come to the communities and exhibit the outbreak," said Whitney.Whitney said public education is paramount when dealing with an outbreak, as little can be done to prevent or eradicate it."We cannot influence the wildlife populations, nor their movement," said Whitney.