More Montreal-area municipalities join raccoon rabies monitoring as 170 cases confirmed

Quebec's Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks added 34 more municipalities to its "enhanced monitoring zone" for raccoon rabies on Monday, July 6, as the disease continues spreading northward across the province.

The expanded zone now includes nine municipalities in Centre-du-Québec and 25 in Montéregie. This follows a warning issued last month that the rabies outbreak was accelerating in Montérégie and Estrie.

Since the first case appeared in 2024, a total of 170 cases have been confirmed: one in 2024, 93 in 2025, and 76 so far in 2026—with 55 of those in Montéregie alone, even though the year is only halfway complete. The previous outbreak in Quebec occurred between 2006 and 2009, during which 104 cases were confirmed over three years.

Rabies is fatal in 100 per cent of cases once symptoms appear. However, there is a preventive treatment that works when administered rapidly after exposure. The treatment involves washing the affected area with soap and water for 10 to 15 minutes, followed by four to five doses of vaccine over two weeks and one dose of immunoglobulin. Speed is critical: symptoms can develop within three weeks of exposure, though timelines vary depending on the location of the wound and type of exposure.

Residents in enhanced monitoring zones are asked to report "raccoons, skunks and foxes that are dead or that appear disoriented, injured, abnormally aggressive or paralyzed" by calling 1-877-346-6763 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) or online. The ministry is continuing its wildlife vaccination operation in the enhanced monitoring zones throughout July. It also recommends affected residents place a free credit lock on their credit file with Equifax Canada and TransUnion Canada.