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Every year, public health inspectors at the Thunder Bay District Health Unit investigate over 200 suspected rabies cases. No cases have been found in domestic cats or dogs, but it has been found in wildlife in the area including foxes, bats and skunks. The virus can be passed to a human through a…

The Thunder Bay District Health Unit provides information on a large number of infectious diseases. Diseases are listed from A-Z  below for your convenience.

Emergency Preparedness

expand_moreMake A Plan



Take time to consider what you will do if you or a family/household member becomes sick and needs care.
If you are responsible for dependents, including young children or elderly relatives, consider putting in place alternative care plans should you…

Regular testing of your private well is important to make sure your water is safe for you and your family to drink. Bacteria such as E. coli can contaminate your well making it unsafe to drink. The risk is higher if you have animals in the area – especially on farms with livestock and other animals…

Like public beaches, pools and other artificial recreational waters are great places to have fun and cool off in the summer. However, they can also be a breeding ground for recreational waterborne illnesses (RWIs), including a wide variety of infections such as gastrointestinal, skin, ear,…

Under the Child Care and Early Years Act, all children attending a licensed child care centre (daycare) must be immunized as required by the local Medical Officer of Health (MOH). The operator of the licensed facility has a legal obligation to make sure that all the children in their care are…

We all deserve safe drinking water. One of the Thunder Bay District Health Unit’s role is to prevent and reduce water-borne illness related to drinking water. The TBDHU does this in a number of ways, including:


Surveillance and inspection of drinking water systems;
Timely response to drinking…

Adverse Events Following Immunization

An adverse event following immunization (AEFI) is an unwanted or unexpected health outcome that happens after someone receives a vaccine, which may or may not be caused by the vaccine. Although rare, AEFI’s can occur. Potential AEFI side effects and management…

The Thunder Bay District Health Unit provides a variety of resources and services for health-care workers, educators and employers. In this section, you can access useful information about common public health topics such as communicable disease reporting, immunization, general health…

Home. It’s where we should feel most safe – and part of the Thunder Bay District Health Unit’s role is to help you keep it that way. Possible health hazards in your home such as those listed below are either preventable or can be planned for. Whether you are a homeowner or a tenant, all it takes is…

Bed bugs are insects with oval-shaped bodies and no wings. Unlike most public health pests, bed bugs are not known to transmit or spread disease. However, they are certainly a pest - feeding on blood, causing itchy bites and generally irritating their human hosts and they can cause other…

To ensure the efficacy of vaccines, the cold chain must be maintained according to Ontario's Vaccine Storage and Handling Guidelines (PDF).
Call 625-8810 or toll-free at 1-888-294-6630, ext. 8810 with questions.

expand_moreVaccine Transport


Temperature log books must be submitted with the…

As of August 2024, the following organizations offer TB Skin Testing (TST). Please contact the facility regarding their hours of operation.

PLEASE CONTACT THE FACILITY REGARDING THEIR HOURS OF OPERATION AND THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS TEST.

Open to the Public

The following table includes…

Publicly funded vaccines are available from TBDHU at no cost to eligible health care providers, if the facility meets specific criteria to ensure safe handling and storage of vaccines.
These criteria can be reviewed with TBDHU staff by calling 807-625-5900 in Thunder Bay, your local branch…

COVaxON is the electronic documentation system that must be used for documenting all COVID-19 vaccinations in Ontario. Users must be created and “on-boarded” to the system. TBDHU is an authorizing organization or “AO” for creating new user accounts or reactivating previous accounts.
If you…