Quebec issues rabies-infected raccoon warning in Eastern Townships, Monteregie
Quebec’s Environment Ministry is warning certain municipalities in the Eastern Townships and Monteregie against rabies-infected raccoons and "announces the expansion of the enhanced surveillance zone."
A raccoon infected with rabies was discovered in the municipality of Eustis, in northwestern Maine, about 23 kilometres from the Canadian border.
The Ministry of the Environment is asking the population of 18 municipalities “to be vigilant and report all wild animals suspected of having rabies.”
The following municipalities have been added to the enhanced raccoon rabies surveillance zone, which extends into the Eastern Townships and Montérégie:
- Audet
- Bury
- Chartierville
- Frontenac
- Hampden
- La Patrie
- Lac-Drolet
- Lac-Mégantic
- Marston
- Nantes
- Newport
- Notre-Dame-des-Bois
- Piopolis
- Saint-Augustin-de-Woburn
- Saint-Robert-Bellarmin
- Sainte-Cécile-de-Whitton
- Saint-Ludger
- Val-Racine
The ministry stressed that reporting an animal is the best way to identify wild animals with rabies and prevent the spread of the disease.
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 it appears to be minor.
“Promptly contact Info-Santé 811 to obtain the appropriate medical follow-up,” said the Environment Ministry in a press release.
People should also avoid approaching an unknown animal, wild or domestic, even if it seems harmless, and avoid attracting wild animals to their property by, for example, leaving garbage cans within reach.
Also, avoid touching the carcass of a dead animal or moving unwelcome animals to other areas.
“If you see a raccoon, skunk or fox that is dead or appears disoriented, injured, abnormally aggressive or paralyzed, call 1-877-346-6763 to report it, or fill in the online form," reads the ministry's press release.
Rabies is a contagious and fatal disease. Since the discovery of the first case of raccoon rabies in Monteregie in 2006, the Quebec government has implemented a control plan to eliminate it from the territory.
The ministry said it has done so – there have been no cases detected in Quebec since 2016.
The government hopes to prevent the reintroduction of this disease to the province.
- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on July 25, 2023
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Prime Minister Trudeau meets Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau landed in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Friday evening to meet with U.S.-president elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, sources confirm to CTV News.
'Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!': Details emerge in Boeing 737 incident at Montreal airport
New details suggest that there were communication issues between the pilots of a charter flight and the control tower at Montreal's Mirabel airport when a Boeing 737 made an emergency landing on Wednesday.
Hit man offered $100,000 to kill Montreal crime reporter covering his trial
Political leaders and press freedom groups on Friday were left shell-shocked after Montreal news outlet La Presse revealed that a hit man had offered $100,000 to have one of its crime reporters assassinated.
Questrade lays off undisclosed number of employees
Questrade Financial Group Inc. says it has laid off an undisclosed number of employees to better fit its business strategy.
Cucumbers sold in Ontario, other provinces recalled over possible salmonella contamination
A U.S. company is recalling cucumbers sold in Ontario and other Canadian provinces due to possible salmonella contamination.
Billboard apologizes to Taylor Swift for video snafu
Billboard put together a video of some of Swift's achievements and used a clip from Kanye West's music video for the song 'Famous.'
Musk joins Trump and family for Thanksgiving at Mar-a-Lago
Elon Musk had a seat at the family table for Thanksgiving dinner at Mar-a-Lago, joining President-elect Donald Trump, Melania Trump and their 18-year-old son.
John Herdman resigns as head coach of Toronto FC
John Herdman, embroiled in the drone-spying scandal that has dogged Canada Soccer, has resigned as coach of Toronto FC.
Weekend weather: Parts of Canada could see up to 50 centimetres of snow, wind chills of -40
Winter is less than a month away, but parts of Canada are already projected to see winter-like weather.