Rabies detected invermont raccoons

Estrie and Monteregie urged to be on the lookout

Due to a recent increase in the number of cases of raccoon rabies reported in Vermont, near Quebec, the Environment Ministry is asking the population of the Estrie and Montérégie regions to be vigilant and report all wild animals suspected of carrying rabies.

Since March 2022, more than 30 cases of raccoon rabies have been detected in Vermont, between Burlington and the Canada-u.s. border, along Lake Champlain. In March 2024, cases of infected raccoons were confirmed near the border.

Some of these cases were discovered in an area where no wildlife vaccination operations have taken place since 2020. As a result, the risk of introducing raccoon rabies to Quebec has greatly increased.

The Ministry is working closely with U.S. authorities, who have deployed large-scale interventions to limit the extent and progression of the epidemic outbreak. The Ministry is also working to set up vaccination operations for wild animals in the Montérégie and Estrie regions, in order to protect the health of the human population. Details of the operations will be communicated at a later date.

The public is being asked to report raccoons, skunks and foxes that are dead or appear disoriented, injured, abnormally aggressive or paralyzed by calling 1 877 346-6763 or by completing the online form on the environment ministry’s website https://mffp.gouv. qc.ca/la-faune/animaux-importunsmalades/signaler-animal-rage/.

A reminder of safe behavior

- If you’ve been bitten or scratched by an animal, or come into contact with its saliva, wash the wound with soap and water for 10 to 15 minutes, even if the wound appears minor. Call Info-santé 811 promptly for medical follow-up.

- Never approach an unknown animal, wild or domestic, even if it looks harmless.

- Never touch the carcass of a wild animal with your bare hands.

- Take steps to avoid attracting wild animals to your property (e.g. keep outdoor garbage cans out of reach of animals, and avoid feeding pets outdoors).

- Avoid moving unwelcome or seemingly orphaned animals, as you could spread diseases such as rabies to other territories.

- Consult a veterinarian to have your pet vaccinated against rabies, or if it has been in contact with a wild animal likely to transmit rabies.