A first case of raccoon rabies was confirmed in the municipality of Saint-Anicet on June 9. This is the first verified case in the MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent, which is included in the provincial government’s enhanced surveillance zone where the likelihood of detecting cases of raccoon rabies in wildlife is highest. All of the municipalities in the Beauharnois-Salaberry and Jardins-de-Napierville regions are also included in this zone.
Since the start of the year, there have been 68 cases confirmed in the Montérégie, as well as 21 in the Estrie region. There were 95 cases in total last year, as well as six cases in bats, including one in Godmanchester and another in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield.
During a press conference held on June 18 by Dr. Isabelle Samson and Dr. David-Martin Milot, the directors of public health for Estrie and the Montérégie regions respectively, the doctors expressed concern about the rapid spread of raccoon rabies, suggesting the situation was “worrisome.”
The public health officials explained it was increasingly important to take steps to protect against the fatal virus, which include avoiding exposure and practicing safe behaviors around animals. The first case of raccoon rabies was discovered in Saint-Armand, when cases were already present in Vermont. An outbreak was identified in Stanstead in August 2025, and since then, the disease has been steadily spreading.
Rabies cases in humans are rare, but the virus is almost always fatal once symptoms appear. The last case dates back to 2000 in Quebec and was linked to contact with a bat.
As contact with wild animals increases during the summer months, the public health officials noted the importance of limiting risk exposure or any contact between a person and the saliva of a potentially infected animal. They explained that the most common situations involve bites and scratches, or contact between saliva and a wound, cut, eyes, or mouth. “It is important to know that an animal can transmit rabies without showing any apparent signs of the disease. All mammals can become infected, whether they are wild or domestic, and particularly if they have not been vaccinated.”
The Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte Contre les Changements Climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs has been working to monitor and control rabies in raccoons through vaccination campaigns and trap-vaccinate-release operations this spring.
Under the raccoon rabies surveillance program, residents in the enhanced surveillance zone who come across a sick or dead raccoon, fox, or skunk are required to report the animal by calling 1-877-346-6763. This kind of cooperation is important, as statistics show that the animals reported by the public are most likely to be infected.