Wild animal vaccination operation in Estrie: The Ministère takes action to combat raccoon rabies in Québec

QUÉBEC, Oct. 21, 2025 /CNW/ - The Ministère de l'Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs is informing residents of the Estrie region that it will carry out a vaccine bait distribution operation from October 23 to 31, 2025. This vaccination operation aims to immunize raccoons, skunks and foxes against rabies. The goal is to slow the spread of the disease following the detection of several cases in raccoons in Québec since December 2024.

During this period, the Ministère's teams will cover an area of 1,600 km² across 24 municipalities in Estrie. Approximately 134,000 vaccine baits will be distributed by hand in areas frequented by raccoons, such as on the banks of watercourses, at the edges of fields and agricultural facilities, around abandoned buildings and near garbage bins.

The target area for this vaccination operation was selected due to the significant risk of a new raccoon rabies outbreak emerging in this part of Estrie. In fact, cases were confirmed in raccoons in Vermont in July 2025, near Stanstead. Since August 2025, seven cases have been detected in raccoons in the municipalities of Stanstead, Stanstead-Est and Ogden, Québec. Vaccine bait distribution and a capture-and-vaccinate operation were carried out during the summer in part of the area targeted for October. This additional vaccination operation aims to reduce the risk of raccoon rabies spreading toward Coaticook and Sherbrooke in Estrie.

To support efforts to combat raccoon rabies in Québec, residents of Estrie and Montérégie are invited to report any dead raccoons, skunks or foxes, or any that seem disoriented, injured, unusually aggressive or paralyzed, by calling 1-877-346-6763 or filling out the online form. 

Rabies can be prevented by adopting safe behaviours

• If you have been bitten or scratched by an animal, or have come into contact with its saliva, clean the wound (even if it appears minor) with soap and water for 10 to 15 minutes, and promptly contact Info-Santé 811 to obtain appropriate medical follow-up. If the animal is domestic, record the owner's contact information to help assess the risk that the animal may be carrying rabies.
• Consult a veterinarian to have your domestic animals vaccinated against rabies, keep their vaccination up to date, and assess the risk if they have been in contact with a wild animal or are showing signs consistent with rabies.
• Follow all recommendations to prevent rabies and protect yourself.

Key facts:

• Rabies is a contagious and deadly disease that can affect all mammals, meaning it can be transmitted from an infected animal to a human.
• It is currently prohibited to move or relocate live raccoons, striped skunks, gray and red foxes, as well as coyotes and their hybrids, within the municipalities located in areas where raccoon rabies cases have been confirmed.
• Two vaccination operations have already been carried out in 2025:
  • From April 14 to May 6, 2025: 75,000 vaccine baits were distributed over 1,100 km² in 27 municipalities in Estrie and Montérégie.
  • From August 5 to September 18, 2025: 635,000 vaccine baits were distributed over 7,016 km² in 116 municipalities in Estrie and Montérégie.
  • In addition, an operation during which raccoons were captured, vaccinated and released on site was conducted over an area of approximately 100 km² in the municipalities of Barnston-Ouest, Ogden, Stanstead and Stanstead-Est, resulting in the vaccination of more than 650 raccoons.
• It is normal for rabies cases to continue to be detected after previous vaccination operations. In fact, several consecutive years of vaccination are required to eliminate the disease. It is impossible to vaccinate every raccoon in a given area. In addition, animals become immunized against rabies approximately four to six weeks after consuming the vaccine bait. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of this type of intervention has already been demonstrated.
• Since 2006, following the detection of the first case of the disease in Québec, the Plan de lutte contre la rage du raton laveur has been in place. The interventions under this plan are based on the recommendations of an expert committee and are approved by an interministerial committee composed of representatives from the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, the Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation, and the Ministère de l'Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs.
• The vaccine bait looks like a greenish ketchup packet or a khaki-green ravioli and gives off a sweet smell that is attractive to the target species. Because of its colour, it blends into the environment and is hard for humans to spot. To find out what to do if you come across a vaccine bait, visit the Québec.ca website under the section If you find vaccine bait.

Related links:

• Raccoon rabies surveillance and control operations
• Map of specimens collected as part of the surveillance conducted in Québec since January 1, 2024
• Confirmed rabies cases in Québec
• Important notice - Vaccination against raccoon rabies of wild animals on your territory

SOURCE Ministère de l'Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs