A horse in Perth South has been reclassified as being negative for rabies.

After further testing on a sample from the animal in Blanshard Ward that tested positive for the disease earlier this month, Candian Food Inspection Agency officials say the positive result has been reclassified as negative.

CFIA and Ministry of Health officials say the initial test strongly suggested a low-level positive result and because rabies is fatal and people were exposed to the animal, the positive result was issued.

Further testing to determine the type of rabies in a sample found the virus wasn’t detected and the first result has now been ruled a false positive.

Officials say the test that was used has been in place for over forty years and this is only the second sample out of approximately 32,000 in the past ten years to be reported as a false positive.