Sud de Montréal / 20,000 ratons-laveurs tués ou vaccinés

[Animal 0]

Friday » August 18 » 2006

Monteregie launches cull of raccoons

Monteregie health officials will vaccinate or kill many of the 20,000
raccoons in the area to prevent the spread of a new strain of rabies found
in the northeastern United States.

The idea is to create a "barrier zone" to protect against a new strain of
rabies that has broken out in the northeastern United States, said Jocelyne
Sauve, director of the Monteregie public health department.
...
Trapped raccoons that do not have tags from previous vaccine campaigns will
be euthanized and a specimen of their brains will be analyzed for possible
infection.

There are an estimated 20,000 raccoons in the area - 10 to 11 per square
kilometre - and culling is considered a necessary public health measure,
officials said.

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/montreal/story.html?id=f71a6e5a-f5c2-4ee1-a9da-fe002bb522b3

[Animal 0]

L'article anglophone:


Monteregie launches cull of raccoons


Officials hope to prevent new strain of rabies found in the U.S. from spreading to Quebec

Monteregie health officials will vaccinate or kill many of the 20,000 raccoons in the area to prevent the spread of a new strain of rabies found in the northeastern United States.


Photograph by : GORDON BECK, GAZETTE FILE PHOTO


Monteregie health officials are launching a massive culling and vaccination campaign tomorrow that's aimed at stopping an epidemic of rabies among raccoons from spreading across Quebec.

The idea is to create a "barrier zone" to protect against a new strain of rabies that has broken out in the northeastern United States, said Jocelyne Sauve,

director of the Monteregie public health department.

"Infected raccoons bite dogs, cats, cattle and humans. Rabies is 100-per-cent fatal - unless treated immediately, " Sauve said.

"Once (rabies ) symptoms appear, it's too late."

No cases of rabies have been reported among people, she added.

The Monteregie health department, in partnership with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Quebec's Natural Resources Department and the provincial Department of Agriculture, Fishing and Food, is to start a two-part operation.

The first phase is to air-drop 120,000 doses of vaccine baits in the same area north of the U.S. border where two animals infected with the same new rabies strain were found this summer.

"It really surprised us. We had no indication this was coming, " Helene Bergeron, a veterinarian with the Agriculture, Fishing and Food Department, said of the new rabies outbreak.

"One infection is an isolated case, but two is an indication it's spreading."

The four-day air-drop starting tomorrow will target a 1,900-square-kilometre area covering the Upper Richelieu, Rouville, Brome-Missisquoi and Upper Yamaska regions.

The territory is bounded by the U.S. border to the south, Highway 10 to the north, the Richelieu River to the west and Highway 253 to the east.

The second phase of the operation is to start in late August, when 34 professional hunters will trap about 2,500 animals in cages. Bergeron's team of veterinarians will vaccinate the creatures in the field and then release them.

Trapped raccoons that do not have tags from previous vaccine campaigns will be euthanized and a specimen of their brains will be analyzed for possible infection.

There are an estimated 20,000 raccoons in the area - 10 to 11 per square kilometre - and culling is considered a necessary public health measure, officials said.

Cats captured accidentally will be vaccinated, identified with a non-toxic marker and released.

People are warned not to touch raccoons, foxes or skunks that appear paralyzed or disoriented, or show aggressive behaviour.

"Never approach an animal you suspect of having rabies," Bergeron cautioned.

Rabies is transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal coming in contact with an open wound, a scratch or mucous membranes like the eyes, nose or mouth.

Anyone coming in contact with a raccoon carcass or a live animal behaving aggressively is asked to call 1-(800)-363-1363, toll free.

cfidelman@thegazette.canwest.com