Quebec Launches Extensive Rabies Vaccination Effort Across Multiple Municipalities
A large-scale rabies vaccination program is underway in Quebec’s MRCs of Coaticook and Memphrémagog, targeting raccoons, skunks, and foxes in over 20 municipalities.
Authorities are initiating a widespread distribution of vaccine baits from October 23 to 31, responding to a concerning rise in rabies cases detected in the region since December 2024. The proactive measure aims to curb the spread of the disease following confirmed infections in neighboring Vermont and increasingly within Quebec itself.
According to the Ministry of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks, the operation will cover an expansive 1,600 square kilometers. Approximately 134,000 vaccine baits will be strategically placed manually along waterways, field edges, near agricultural buildings, abandoned structures, and around waste disposal areas.
The targeted region was identified due to a heightened risk of a new raccoon rabies outbreak. Cases were first confirmed in raccoons in Vermont in July 2025, near the town of Stanstead, prompting increased surveillance and preventative action. “Since August 2025, seven cases have been discovered in raccoons in the municipalities of Stanstead, Stanstead-Est and Ogden in Quebec,” a recent press release stated. Prior to this current effort, vaccine baits were previously distributed, and a “trap-vaccinate-release” program was implemented this past summer across a portion of the affected area.
This additional vaccination drive is specifically designed to prevent the spread of rabies to larger population centers like Coaticook and Sherbrooke. Officials emphasize the importance of containing the disease within its current perimeter.
The public is urged to remain vigilant and report any sightings of raccoons, skunks, or foxes exhibiting unusual behavior – including appearing dead, disoriented, injured, aggressively hostile, or paralyzed – by calling 1 877 346-6763 or submitting an online report. Earlier in 2025, a targeted “trap-vaccinate-release” operation vaccinated over 650 raccoons within a 100 square kilometer area encompassing Barnston-Ouest, Ogden, Stanstead, and Stanstead-Est.
The following municipalities are included in the control operations scheduled from October 23 to 31:
- Austin
- Ayer’s Cliff
- Barnston West
- East Bolton
- Canton of Hatley
- Canton de Stanstead
- Coaticook
- Compton
- Cookshire-Eaton
- Dixville
- Hatley
- Magog
- Martinville
- North Hatley
- Ogden
- Potton
- Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley
- Sainte-Edwidge-de-Clifton
- Saint-Herménégilde
- Sherbrooke
- Stanstead
- Stanstead-Est
- Sutton
- Waterville
This comprehensive vaccination program represents a critical step in protecting both wildlife and the human population from the potentially fatal threat of rabies.
