Ratons who died with the disease have been identified in Saint-Armand-11 specimens between mid-December and mid-April-, Notre-Dame-de-Stanbridge, Saint-Ignace-de-Stanbridge, Frelighsburg, the canton of Bedford, Pike River and Venise-en Québec.
The ranting rage control operation in the spring of 2025 (Ministry of the Environment, the Fight against Climate change, Wildlife and Parks)
This corresponds to 20 cases between mid-December and April 17.
“It is not so surprising to have so many cases in such a short time, considering that the vaccination of wild animals only reinstated last year, as the threat of reintroduction comes from Vermont,” explains Marianne Gagnier, provincial coordinator of rabies management at the Ministry of the Environment, the fight against climate change, fauna and parks (MELCCFP).
However, in front of such a spread-the first since that of 2006-2009, when 104 cases had been counted-, “I will not hide you that it is still worrying”, concedes Ms. Gagnier.
In response to this “epidemic home” of rage, “major” vaccine operations have been carried out since April 2024. One of them has ended in recent days.
Saint-Armand, a “perfect habitat”
We find in Saint-Armand and around a territory of choice for the raccoon.
“It is the perfect habitat for the raccoon: there are a lot of shelters, with lots of old farm buildings, food, rivers … There is a bit of everything to please the raccoon.”
A photo taken during the vaccine bait distribution campaign carried out in the fall of 2024, notably in Bedford, Dunham, Frelighsburg, Pike River, Saint-Armand, Stanbridge East and Stanbridge Station. (Ministry of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks)
If the authorities are incapable of counting how many rats were rolled out these territories, we speak of “large densities” of the population, ie “probably between 15 and 25 rats washer per square kilometer”, indicates Ms. Gagnier.
“It’s still a lot.”
75,000 vaccine bait
A vast vaccination operation took place from April 14 to 24, while 75,000 vaccine bait was manually dispersed in 27 municipalities, from Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu to Sutton, via Ange-Gardien.
This represents a territory of 1100 km². Sixteen of the 27 municipalities are in the territory of the MRC Brome-Missisquoi.
This spring operation follows that which took place last fall. Others had also taken place in August and spring 2024. Two others will follow in August 2025 and then this fall.
“We want to avoid that [le foyer épidémique] approaches major centers, such as the southern shore of Montreal, for example, Granby or Saint-Hyacinthe. ”— Marianne Gagnier, biologist and manager of the management of rabies at the ministry
“What we hope is to control the propagation of the disease, limit it in space, then be able to eliminate it in a few years,” says Gagnier.
This manual spreading makes it possible to distribute the equivalent of 70 vaccines per square kilometer.
-A proven method
According to Ms. Gagnier, this way of proceeding has already given good results in the past, whether in Quebec, Ontario or the United States.
“You just have to give the immunity to build with several vaccination campaigns,” she said, in an interview with The voice of the East.
Ratons washer with an average life expectancy of two to three years, according to the biologist. It is therefore necessary to repeat the vaccination operations, especially when the little ones are born in the spring.
“In the absence of vaccination operations, the increase in a rage home can be on average 40 km per year,” says Gagnier.
Two deadly cases in history
In Quebec, there are two people who died after having contracted the rage. The first received it from a fuss, in Huntingdon, in 1964, explains Denise Bélanger, a retired professor of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Montreal.
The second because of a forest bat, in the Laurentians, in 2000.
No death has been identified to date because of a raccoon, according to Ms. Bélanger who chaired the inter -ministerial scientific committee on the rage of the raccoon, from 2007.
Frelighsburg wants to vaccinate domestic animals
“It is still worrying for our small village,” worries Ms. Bélanger, resident of Frelighsburg.
The ex-professional alerted the village mayor, Lucie Dagenais, offering her to set up a sort of community vaccination clinic, given the high number of cats present on the territory.
There are many farm cats in the villages of southern Quebec, which can be in contact with wild animals. (Pascale Lévesque/Archives Le Soleil)
The mayor has made this recommendation his own, and has been trying for several weeks to offer such a service, which would be billed $ 30 to domestic animals – compared to $ 150 in normal times with the veterinarian.
“I am very confident that we will be able to hold a community clinic at low costs by mid-June,” says Dagenais.
It still remains to find volunteer veterinary doctors who would agree to lend themselves to the exercise.
“There are people who cannot afford, huh, to have their pets vaccinated,” said Bélanger.
Note that the rabies virus can be transmitted to the human being by a simple scratch or saliva.
“It makes me crazy to think about the possible consequences,” comments the mayor of Frelighsburg.
Call to the population
The ministry requests the collaboration of the population in three ways.
- Citizens are called upon to point out wild animals – raatwashers, foxes, skips – which are either dead, sick, aggressive or having apathetic air. By calling for 1 877 343-6763 or via the online form.
- Avoid moving wild animals, trapping them to release them further. “Right now, this practice could be very harmful,” warns biologist Marianne Gagnier. “Even an animal with healthy air could be infected with the virus, and it may not have developed yet, which can take up to six months in the raccoon.”
- If you find a vaccination bait in the forest, leave it on site. If it is in a passing place, simply put it in the garbage.
