A second cat in Saint-Anicet, Quebec, in the Montérégie region has been confirmed to have contracted raccoon rabies this summer. According to Santé Québec Montérégie-Centre, three individuals needed preventive care after being in contact with the infected animal. This incident follows the recent diagnosis of a cat with rabies in Godmanchester, also in the Montérégie region.
As raccoon rabies continues to spread across the Estrie, Montérégie, and Centre-du-Québec areas, maintaining pets’ vaccinations up to date is crucial, as highlighted by Santé Québec. Pet owners are advised to ensure their animals do not wander unsupervised outdoors.
Health authorities urge the public to refrain from interacting with unfamiliar domestic or wild animals, even if they seem unthreatening, healthy, or deceased. In case of contact with a potentially rabid animal, individuals are advised to wash the affected area for 10 to 15 minutes and immediately contact Info-Santé at 811. Prompt preventive treatment is essential to prevent the disease from progressing.
Animals infected with rabies may display behavioral changes, aggression, a tendency to bite, isolation, loss of appetite, excessive salivation, or a staggering gait. If pets exhibit these symptoms, they should be isolated to limit contact with other animals and people, and then assessed by a veterinarian.
The Environment Ministry recently reported the first case of raccoon rabies in Saint-Eugène-de-Grantham in the Centre-du-Québec region. Residents of the Eastern Townships, Montérégie, and Centre-du-Québec are urged to report dead, injured, disoriented, paralyzed, or unusually aggressive raccoons, skunks, or foxes through an online form. Those outside these regions can report potentially rabid wild animals by contacting the Environment Ministry at 1 877 346-6763.